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BOSTON 

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117  Washington  Street 


LIFE 


LAFAYETTE. 


WRITTEN     FOR     CHILDREN. 


By    E.    CECIL, 


With    Six    Illustrations, 


BOSTON: 

CROSBY,    NICHOLS,    AND    COMPANY, 

117  Washington  Street. 

18  6  0. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1859,  by 

CROSBY,   NICHOLS,   AND   COMPANY, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


University  Press,  Cambridge  : 
Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  Welch,  Eigelow,  &  Co, 


The  Life  of  Lafayette  seems  properly  to  fol- 
low that  of  Washington  for  several  reasons. 
They  were  closely  connected  in  the  dark  days 
of  our  Revolutionary  war  ;  and  in  the  stormier 
scenes  of  the  French  Revolution,  the  young 
republican  constantly  took  Washington  for  his 
model.  Nor  was  it  only  in  public  services  that 
their  lives  were  united,  but  the  friendship 
which  bound  them  to  each  other  was  pure  and 
lasting. 

As  the  friend  of  Washington,  Lafayette 
claims  our  respect ;  as  the  disinterested  bene- 
factor of  our  country,  we  owe  him  more  grat- 
itude than  is  often  expressed,  —  more,  perhaps, 
than  is  often  felt. 

This  memoir  is  an  attempt  to  interest  Amer- 
ican children  in  the  character  and  history  of 
one  who  stood  so  near  our  Commander-in-chief 
in  many  difficulties,  and  whose  after  life  was 
so  varied  and  remarkable. 


CONTENTS. 


Chap.  Page 

I.  Escape  from  France 1 

II.  A  First  Battle 13 

III.  A  New  Command  .......  29 

IV.  The  Two  Alliances 47 

V.  Active  Operations 57 

VI.  Success  the  Reward  of  Patience        .        .  69 

VII.  France  as  it  was 77 

VIII.  Changes 87 

IX.  Liberty  in  October 101 

X.  Doubts Ill 

XL  A  Lamentable  Flight 123 

XII.  Trouble  at  Home  and  Abroad      .        .        .  134 

XIII.  Exile .147 

XIV.  The  Family  at  Olmutz 159 

XV.  France  much  changed 170 

XVI.  A  New  King  of  France          ....  179 

XVII.  Visit  to  the  United  States      ....  186 

XVIII.  A  Happy  Home 198 

XIX.  The  Old  Soldier 210 


LAFAYETTE. 


CHAPTER    I 


ESCAPE   FROM   FRANCE. 


Lafayette  was  born  on  the  7th  of  September, 
1757,  at  the  castle  of  Chavaniae,  in  the  province  of 
Auvergne,  which  lies  between  the  centre  and  the 
south  of  France.  His  family  had  long  been  dis- 
tinguished for  courage  and  high  spirit,  and  he  inher- 
ited the  rank  of  Marquis.  His  names  were  Marie- 
Paul-Joseph-Roch-Ives-Gilbert  de  Motier;  but  he 
seems  never  to  have  been  called  by  or  to  have  signed 
any  of  them. 

Little  is  known  of  his  childhood.  He  never  saw 
his  father,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Minden, 
and  his  excellent  mother  died  when  he  was  eleven 
years  old.  He  was  at  first  educated  in  the  country 
among  his  relations,  then  sent  at  the  age  of  eleven 


2  LAFAYETTE.  [l774. 

to  a  college  in  Paris,  and  afterwards  to  the  Academy 
of  Versailles ;  but  his  studies  must  have  come  to  an 
end  early  in  life,  as  he  was  married  at  sixteen  to  his 
cousin,  Mademoiselle  Franchise  Adrienne  de  Noailles. 

Probably,  if  his  parents  had  been  living,  they 
would  not  have  allowed  so  youthful  a  marriage ;  but, 
in  spite  of  its  imprudence,  all  ended  happily  for  both 
parties.  Madame  de  Lafayette  was  descended,  like 
her  husband,  from  a  noble  family,  and  had  many 
charming  and  admirable  qualities.  They  loved  each 
other  devotedly,  and  shared  both  pleasures  and  cares. 

From  the  time  when  he  was  a  mere  child,  Lafay- 
ette recollected  loving  everything  that  was  free. 
He  liked  high-spirited  animals,  and  hoped  to  meet  a 
hyena  which  had  done  some  mischief  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  his  home ;  at  school  he  was  very  unwil- 
ling to  be  forced  to  do  anything,  —  he  would  work 
industriously,  but  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  any 
constraint.  He  liked  to  read  and  think  of  free 
nations,  and  managed  to  avoid  a  place  at  court  which 
his  wife's  family  were  very  anxious  to  secure  for  him. 

On  his  first  appearance  in  the  distinguished  society 
which  he  went  into  on  account  of  his  own  and  his 
wife's  connections,  he  did  not  make  a  particularly 
favorable  impression.     He  was  observing  and  rather 


AGE    19.]  LAFAYETTE.  3 

silent ;  he  did  not  enjoy  the  conversation  he  heard, 
and  was  thought  very  cold.  He  never  could  adopt 
what  were  called  "the  graces  of  the  court," — a  kind 
of  manner  which  was  never  seen  in  this  country, 
and  probably  never  will  be. 

He  went  into  the  army,  as  almost  all  young  men  of 
rank  did  at  that  time  in  France. 

Lafayette  was  but  nineteen  years  old  when  he 
first  heard  of  the  Revolutionary  war  in  America. 
He  was  stationed  at  Metz  on  military  duty,  when  the 
Duke  of  Gloucester,  brother  of  the  King  of  Eng- 
land, happened  to  come  there.  At  a  dinner  given  in 
honor  of  him,  the  conversation  turned  upon  the 
rebellion  of  the  colonies,  and  the  king's  determi- 
nation to  crush  it.  The  idea  of  a  nation  fightino;  for 
freedom  at  once  interested  him ;  they  were  doing 
what  he  had  read  of  and  dreamed  of.  He  asked 
questions,  and  from  the  Duke's  own  account  was 
disposed  to  believe  that  the  Americans  were  in  the 
right.  Before  he  left  the  table,  he  thought  how 
much  he  should  like  to  go  over  to  the  United  States, 
and  give  whatever  help  he  could  in  so  noble  a  cause. 
For  several  days  this  idea  was  constantly  in  his 
mind.;  he  could  not  forget  what  he  had  heard,  and 
dwelt  upon  it  until  he  positively  longed  to  be  on  his 
way. 


4  LAFAYETTE.  [l776. 

He  went  to  Paris,  and  spoke  of  his  wishes  to  a 
few  persons ;  two  of  his  young  friends  shared  his 
enthusiasm,  and  would  gladly  have  joined  him,  but 
were  forbidden  by  their  families.  t  Lafayette  had  a 
fortune  of  his  own,  but  he  knew  that  all  his  own  and 
his  wife's  relations  would  oppose  him.  He  also 
foresaw  that  the  government  might  put  some  diffi- 
culties in  his  way,  and  he  took  for  a  motto,  at  this 
time,  the  Latin  words,  "  cur  non  ? "  (why  not  ?) 
One  old  friend  of  the  family  refused  even  to  give 
him  any  advice,  and  said  to  him,  "  I  have  seen  your 
uncle  die  in  the  wars  of  Italy,  I  witnessed  your 
father's  death  at  the  battle  of  Minden,  and  I  will  not 
be  accessary  *  to  the  ruin  of  the  only  remaining 
branch  of  the  family."  Lafayette  remained,  how- 
ever, perfectly  bent  upon  the  undertaking,  and  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Silas  Deane,  a  commissioner 
from  the  United  States,  by  whom  of  course  he  was 
cordially  received,  for  his  rank  and  connections  with 
the  court  would  make  his  going  to  America  an  im- 
portant event.  Several  other  French  officers  wanted 
to  go  at  this  time,  and  Mr.  Deane  was  trying  to  get 
a  ship  in  which  he  could  send  them  and  some  guns 

*  To  be  accessary  is  to  help  in  any  way,  by  word  or  act. 


AGE    19.]  LAFAYETTE.  5 

which  lie  had  bought  for  the  United  States  army, 
when  bad  news  reached  Paris.  The  campaign  *  of 
1776  had  been  unsuccessful  for  the  Americans; 
Washington,  with  a  very  small  army,  had  been  com- 
pelled to  retreat  from  New  York  through  New 
Jersey.  In  Europe  all  hope  was  at  once  given  up ; 
the  friends  of  America  expected  soon  to  see  the 
power  of  Great  Britain  triumph  over  her  feeble 
colonies.  The  Americans  in  Paris  were  extremely 
discouraged,  and  Mr.  Deane  told  Lafayette  the 
whole  truth,  advising  him  not  to  attempt  to  sail. 
Lafayette  thanked  him  for  his  frankness,  but  said 
immediately,  "  Until  now,  sir,  you  have  seen  only  my 
ardor  in  the  cause,  and  that  may  not  at  present 
prove  wholly  useless.  I  shall  purchase  a  ship  to 
carry  out  your  officers;  we  must  feel  confidence  in 
the  future,  and  it  is  especially  in  the  hour  of  danger 
that  I  wish  to  share  your  fortune." 

It  was  now  impossible  for  Mr.  Deane  to  obtain  a 
ship ;  Lafayette,  therefore,  bought  one  at  Bordeaux, 
and  had  her  fitted  up  for  fighting,  in  case  they  should 
meet  an  enemy  at  sea.  The  preparations  went  on 
with  perfect  secrecy,  and  he  did  not  yet  venture  to 
tell  any  of  his  family  what  he  was  doing. 

*  A  single  season  of  fighting,  usually  one  summer. 


6  LAFAYETTE.  [l777. 

Just  before  he  was  ready  to  sail,  he  was  obliged  to 
go  over  to  England,  as  he  had  promised  to  spend  a 
few  weeks  there,  and  was  afraid  of  exciting  suspicions 
if  he  refused.  He  received  a  great  deal  of  attention 
in  London,  and  quite  enjoyed  the  joke  of  dancing  at 
the  house  of  a  general  who  had  just  returned  from 
New  York,  and  whom  he  afterwards  came  near  meet- 
ing in  a  very  different  scene.  He  was  careful, 
however,  to  refuse  invitations  to  visit  the  ships  of 
war,  and  not  to  see  any  of  the  preparations  made 
against  the  rebels.  He  did  not  think  it  honorable 
to  gain  knowledge  as  a  friend  which  he  might  be 
tempted  to  use  as  an  enemy.  But  he  openly  ex- 
pressed his  sympathy  with  the  Americans.  On  his 
return,  he  spent  but  a  few  days  in  Paris,  and  went 
to  Bordeaux,  hoping  to  sail  immediately ;  but  he 
found  that  his  plans  had  become  known  to  the  gov- 
ernment, and  he  was  forbidden  to  go  to  America  and 
ordered  to  go  to  Marseilles.  He  got  his  ship  safely 
out  of  the  harbor,  and  then  went  back  himself  and 
sent  several  letters  to  Paris  ;  he  wrote  to  the  French 
ministers,*  and  to  his  family  and  friends,  whose  regrets 

*  Persons  'who  manage  the  business  of  a  government,  as  the 
Minister  of  War,  who  attends  to  everything  about  the  army,  the 
Minister  of  the  Marine,  who  controls  all  the  ships,  etc. 


AGE    19.]  LAFAYETTE.  7 

ami  reproaches  distressed  him.  Still  he  was  per- 
fectly firm  in  his  decision,  and,  as  no  answer  came 
from  government  during  the  next  few  days,  he  deter- 
mined to  take  his  own  course. 

He  set  otf  with  another  young  officer  on  the  road 
to  Marseilles,  but  after  travelling  a  little  distance 
disguised  himself  as  a  courier,*  and  rode  back  before 
the  carriage.  He  had  gone  in  safety  about  half  the 
way,  when  a  young  girl,  a  postmaster's  daughter, 
recognized  in  the  pretended  servant  the  Marquis  de 
Lafayette,  whom  she  had  seen  near  Bordeaux.  He 
made  a  sign  to  her  not  to  betray  him,  and  she  not 
only  kept  silence  herself,  but  prevented  other  people 
from  suspecting  who  the  courier  really  was. 

At  last,  on  the  26th  of  April,  1777,  Lafayette  set 
sail  for  America.  But  his  adventures  were  not  over. 
The  captain  of  the  ship  insisted  upon  stopping  at  the 
West  India  islands,  which  Lafayette  was  equally 
resolute  not  to  do.  After  some  time,  he  found  out 
that  the  captain  was  anxious  about  a  cargo  he  had 
on  board,  and  promised  that  he  should  lose  nothing 
by  taking  him   directly  to  America.     The   French 

*  A  courier  makes  arrangements  for  people  who  travel  in  a 
carriage,  or  now-a-days  in  the  cars.  He  provides  fresh  horses, 
engages  rooms  at  hotels,  and  used  to  ride  on  the  coach. 


8  LAFAYETTE.  [l777. 

government  had,  as  he  suspected,  sent  orders  for  his 
arrest  to  these  isles,  and  if  he  had  stopped  there 
his  voyage  would  have  proved  a  long  one. 

Every  ship  of  war  they  met  gave  them  a  great 
fright,  for  they  could  have  made  but  a  poor  resist- 
ance had  they  been  attacked.  After  Lafayette  recov- 
ered from  sea-sickness,  he  employed  himself  in  study- 
ing the  English  language  and  the  art  of  war.  And 
so  seven  weeks  of  discomfort,  doubts,  and  hopes 
passed,  and  he  landed  in  June  at  Georgetown,  South 
Carolina.  As  his  foot  touched  American  ground,  he 
resolved  in  his  heart  to  conquer  or  perish  in  that 
cause  which  was  so  dear  to  him.  He  landed  at 
night  at  Major  Huger's.*  The  family  at  first  sup- 
posed he  and  his  companions  came  from  one  of  the 
enemy's  ships,  but,  on  finding  that  they  were  French 
officers,  received  them  with  the  greatest  hospitality. 

The  next  morning  Lafayette  was  delighted  with 
the  prospect  from  his  windows  and  the  beauty  of  the 
weather,  while  the  house  and  the  black  servants 
coming  to  wait  on  him  made  him  feel  that  he  was 
in  a  strange,  new  world.  He  went  immediately  to 
Charleston,  and  wrote  to  his  wife  that  it  was  "  one 

#  Pronounced  Yougee. 


AGE    19.]  LAFAYETTE.  9 

of  the  best-built,  handsomest,  and  most  agreeable 
cities"  that  he  had  ever  seen.  "The  American 
women,"  he  says,  "  are  very  pretty,  and  have  great 
simplicity  of  character,  and  the  extreme  neatness  of 
their  appearance  is  truly  delightful;  cleanliness  is 
everywhere  even  more  attended  to  here  than  in 
England.  What  gives  me  most  pleasure  is  to  see 
how  completely  the  citizens  are  all  brethren  of  one 

family." '•  The  inns  are  very  different  from 

those  of  Europe ;  the  host  and  hostess  sit  at  table 
with  you,  and  do  the  honors  of  a  comfortable  meal. 
If  you  should  dislike  going  to  bins,  you  may  always 
find  country  houses  in  which  you  will  be  received 
as  a  good  American,  with  the  same  attention  that  you 
might  expect  in  a  friend's  house  in  Europe.  My 
own  reception  has  been  particularly  agreeable.  I 
have  just  passed  five  hours  at  a  dinner  given  in  coni- 
plirnent  to  me  by  an  individual  of  this  town.  We 
drank  each  other's  healths,  and  endeavored  to  talk 
English,  which  I  am  beginning  to  speak  a  little." 
...  .  "  The  night  is  far  advanced,  the  heat  in- 
tense, and  I  am  devoured  by  mosquitos ;  but  the 
best  countries,  as  you  perceive,  have  their  incon- 
veniences." 

Lafayette  very  soon  went  on  to  Philadelphia,  to 


10  LAFAYETTE.  \_\m. 

offer  his  services  to  Congress.  He  was  at  first  re- 
ceived with  a  little  coolness,  which,  however,  did  not 
disturb  him  much,  as  he  Avas  reasonable  enough  to 
see  the  cause  of  it.  Congress  was  at  this  time  beset 
every  day  by  foreign  officers  eager  for  high  rank  in 
the  Continental*  army.  That  army  was  so  small 
that  it  was  impossible  to  find  places  for  all  the  for- 
eigners and  keep  any  American  officers  at  all ;  and 
the  natives,  who  had  borne  the  hardships  of  the 
first  two  years  of  the  war,  were  extremely  disgusted 
when  European  officers  were  put  above  them  in 
rank.  At  the  same  time,  the  foreigners  were  dis- 
satisfied with  low  places,  because  they  said  they  had 
"seen  service"  abroad.  Mr.  Deane,  in  Paris,  was 
apt  to  encourage  Frenchmen  to  come  over,  thinking 
that  their  experience  would  be  valuable  to  so  young 
an  army;  but  the  numbers  that  flocked  here  were 
a  sore   trial  to  General  Washington. 

Lafayette,  not  discouraged  by  the  backwardness 
of  Congress  to  give  him  an  appointment,  sent  in  by 
one  of  the  members  this  little  note :  "  After  the 
sacrifices  I  have  made,  I  have  the  right  to  exact  two 
favors :  one  is,   to  serve  at  my  own  expense,  —  the 

*  This  was  the  first  name  of  the  American  army. 


AGE    19.]  LAFAYETTE.  11 

other,  to  serve  as  a  volunteer."*  This  style,  so 
different  from  that  of  the  gentlemen  who  demanded 
high  rank  and  high  pay,  pleased  Congress;  the 
letters  he  brought  were  immediately  examined,  and 
he  was  appointed  a  Major- General.  He  did  what  he 
could  for  the  officers  who  had  come  in  the  same  ship 
with  him. 

While  he  was  in  Philadelphia,  at  a  public  dinner 
Lafayette    saw    General   Washington    for   the   first 
time.     He    immediately   distinguished    him,   among 
many  officers,  by  his  majestic  figure  and  dignified 
manner.     Washington  Avas  then  forty-five  years  old, 
and  in  look  and  bearing  exactly  what  one   would 
wish  to  see  a  Commander-in-chief.     Lafayette  was 
no  less  charmed  with  his  cordiality  than  with  his 
appearance.      He   expressed  much  interest   in   the 
young  Marquis,  and  invited  him  to  make  his  head- 
quarters his  home,  saying,  with  a  smile,  that  he  could 
not  promise   him   the  luxuries  of  a  court,  but  that 
doubtless  he  would  cheerfully  bear  the  privations  of 
an  American  soldier. 

The  army  was  then  stationed  near  Philadelphia. 

*  A  volunteer  is  a  person  attached  to  the  amy  by  his  own 
request.  He  receives  neither  rank  nor  pay,  and  may  join  anv 
general  he  prefers. 


12  LAFAYETTE.  [l777. 

Lafayette  says  of  bis  first  sight  of  it :  "  About  eleven 
thousand  men,  ill-armed  and  still  worse  clothed,  pre- 
sented a  strange  spectacle ;  their  clothes  were  parti- 
colored, and  many  of  them  were  almost  naked ;  the 
best  clad  wore  hunting-shirts,  —  large  gray  linen 
coats,  which  were  much  used  in  Carolina."  General 
Washington  said  to  him,  "We  ought  to  feel  em- 
barrassed in  exhibiting  ourselves  before  an  officer 
who  has  just  left  French  troops."  "It  is  to  learn, 
and  not  to  teach,  that  I  come  here,"  replied  the 
Marquis ;  and  this  pleasant,  modest  answer  made 
him  very  popular. 

He  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  Avith  his 
reception.  In  the  Commander-in-chief  he  soon  found 
a  true  friend ;  the  soldiers  were  quite  ready  to 
admire  him ;  and  throughout  the  country  great  in- 
terest was  felt  in  this  enthusiastic  young  Frenchman, 
avIio  had  left  his  country,  his  home,  his  wife  and 
friends,  and  all  the  pleasures  he  might  have  enjoyed 
at  the  French  court,  for  the  sake  of  joining  the  army 
of  the  United  States;  or,  rather,  for  the  sake  of 
helping  with  his  sword  a  people  determined  to  be 
free.  Lafayette  took  great  pains  to  learn  to  speak 
and  write  English,  and  in  every  way  to  feel  and 
think  as  an  American. 


Lafayette  ataReview  of  American  Troops. 


CHAPTER    II. 

A  FIEST   BATTLE. 

Lafayette  arrived  at  a  time  of  great  uncer- 
tainty in  the  military  movements.  Sir  William 
Howe  had  sailed  from  New  York  with  his  army,  and 
no  one  knew  where  he  was  going.  The  American 
army  was  waiting  near  Philadelphia,  ready  to  march 
to  any  place  at  which  he  might  reappear.  After 
many  days  of  suspense,  the  ships  were  seen  coming 
up  Chesapeake  Bay,  approaching  Philadelphia  in  a 
round-about  manner.  The  Americans,  although  they 
were  not  in  a  very  good  condition  for  fighting, 
immediately  marched  to  meet  the  enemy.  The 
troops  were  new  recruits,*  not  well  drilled,  but 
spirited  and  eager  for  an  action.  In  fact,  the  whole 
country  was  then  impatient  to  have  a  regular  battle 
fought ;  people  at  a  distance  did  not  understand  how 

*  Men  who  have  joined  an  army,  but  have  never  been  soldiers 
before. 


14  LAFAYETTE.  .      [l"T7. 

poor  the  army  Avas,  and  grew  tired  of  Genera] 
Washington's  prudence  and  caution,  which  were  in 
truth  caused  by  necessity,  and  not  at  all  agreeable  to 
his  disposition.  It  was  fortunate  for  the  Americans 
that  Sir  William  Howe  had  wasted  so  much  of  the 
summer  before  opening  the  campaign. 

General  Washington  made  some  opposition  to  the 
landing  of  the  British,  and  the  battle  of  the  Brandy- 
wine,*  the  first  in  which  Lafayette  was  engaged,  took 
place  on  the  11th  of  September.  At  first,  success 
seemed  to  be  with  the  Americans,  but  the  firing  was 
not  very  heavy ;  Lord  Cornwallis,  in  the  mean  time, 
by  marching  seventeen  miles,  brought  his  troops  up 
behind  the  Americans,  and  so  separated  parts  of  the 
army.  The  generals  were  not  informed  of  this 
manoeuvre  f  in  time  to  make  the  best  arrangements 
to  receive  him;  and,  though  the  young  American 
troops  at  first  behaved  with  spirit,  in  the  course  of 
the  day  they  gave  way  before  the  superior  discipline 
of  the  British. 

Lafayette  as  a  volunteer  remained  for  some  time 
with   the   Commander-in-chief;   at  length  he  asked 

*  A  river  in  Pennsylvania  which  flows  into  the  Delaware. 
f  A  change  of  position  in  a  company,  regiment,  or  larger 
division. 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  15 

permission  to  go  where  he  saw  the  fight  was  hottest. 
In  the  midst  of  great  confusion,  he  was  rallying  the 
troops,  when  a  ball  wounded  him  in  the  leg.  General 
Washington  brought  up  some  fresh  soldiers,  and 
Lafayette  was  preparing  to  join  him,  when  loss  of 
blood  obliged  him  to  stop  and  have  his  wound  ban- 
daged ;  he  had  not  cared  for  the  pain,  but  he  could 
not  afford  to  faint  on  horseback.  As  it  was,  he  was  in 
great  danger  of  being  taken  prisoner. 

Night  came  on,  and  nothing  more  could  be  done. 
Men,  cannon,,  wagons,  baggage  crowded  along  the 
road  from  Chad's  Ford  to  Chester,  about  twelve 
miles  distant.  At  Chester  Lafayette  made  a  great 
effort  to  stop  this  hurried  and  confused  retreat.  The 
Commander-in-chief  and  the  other  Generals  arrived 
at  the  same  place,  and  the  remains  of  the  army 
passed  there  the  sorrowful  night  after  the  battle. 
At  last  Lafayette  had  time  to  have  his  wound 
dressed. 

The  people  of  Philadelphia  heai'd  the  firing, 
although  the  field  of  battle  was  twenty-six  miles 
from  the  city.  The  defeat  of  the  army  was  a  ter- 
rible blow  to  the  Whigs ;  *  whole  families  left  their 

*  Those  who  were  opposed  to  Great  Britain. 


16  LAFAYETTE.  [l777- 

homes,  expecting  that  the  British  would  occupy  the 
city  during  the  winter.  Congress  sought  a  safer 
place  of  meeting  at  Yorktown,  among  the  mountains. 
Lafayette  was  at  first  taken  by  water  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  received  the  kindest  attentions  from 
some  of  the  citizens  who  were  not  too  much  occupied 
with  fears  for  their  own  safety  to  care  for  a  stranger; 
but  it  was  of  course  no  place  for  him  when  his 
friends  were  flying,  and  he  was  removed  to  Bethle- 
hem, where  the  Moravians  *  took  good  care  of  him, 
and  his  wound  gradually  healed.  He  wrote  to  his 
wife  that  his  wound  was  but  a  trifle.  "  The  surgeons 
are  astonished  at  the  rapidity  with  Avhich  it  heals ; 
they  are  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy  each  time  they  dress  it, 
and  pretend  it  is  the  finest  thing  in  the  world.  For 
my  part,  I  think  it  most  disagreeable,  painful,  and 
wearisome ;  but  tastes  often  differ.  If  a  man,  how- 
ever, wished  to  be  wounded  for  his  amusement  only, 
he  should  come  and  examine  how  I  have  been  struck, 
that  he  might  be  struck  in  precisely  the  same  man- 
ner.    This,  my  dearest  love,  is  what  I  pompously 

*  Devout  Christians,  who  live  together  somewhat  as  Shakers 
do,  and  during  the  war  often'  took  care  of  the  wounded.  Their 
neatness  and  gentleness  fitted  them  for  this  work.  They  are 
called  Moravians  because  the  sect  was  first  formed  in  Moravia. 


AGE    19.]  LAFAYETTE.  17 

style  niy  wound,  to  give  myself  airs,  and  render 
myself  interesting. 

"  I  must  now  give  you  your  lesson  as  wife  of  an 
American  general  officer.  They  will  say  to  you, 
'They  have  been  beaten.'  You  must  answer, 
'  That  is  true ;  but  when  two  armies  of  equal  num- 
bers meet  in  the  field,  old  soldiers  have  naturally  the 
advantage  over  new  ones ;  they  have  besides  had  the 
pleasure  of  killing  a  great  many  of  the  enemy,  — 
many  more  than  they  have  lost.'  They  will  after- 
wards add,  '  All  that  is  very  well ;  but  Philadelphia 
is  taken,  the  capital  of  America,  the  rampart  of 
liberty ! '  You  must  politely  answer,  '  You  are  all 
great  fools !  Philadelphia  is  a  poor,  forlorn  town, 
exposed  on  every  side,  whose  harbor  was  already 
closed ;  though  the  residence  of  Congress  lent  it,  I 
know  not  why,  some  degree  of  celebrity.'  This  is 
the  famous  city  which,  be  it  added,  we  will,  sooner 
or  later,  make  them  yield  back  to  us," 

Lafayette  certainly  did  all  he  could  to  make  his 
wife's  mind  easy  by  writing  constantly,  and  in  a  very 
cheerful  strain ;  but  letters  were  then  six  or  seven 
weeks  in  crossing  the  ocean,  and  she  probably  often 
heard  false  reports  from  London.  The  English,  in 
writing   home,    would    naturally  make   the   most  of 

2*  B 


18  LAFAYETTE.  [l777. 

every  success  of  theirs,  and  every  loss  on  the  Ameri- 
can side.  And  Madame  Lafayette  must  have  mourned 
over  this  separation  from  her  husband,  as  it  is  not 
likely  that  she  was  as  enthusiastic  as  he  in  the  cause 
of  American  independence.  He  had  something  to 
suffer,  too.  He  says  once,  "Why  was  I  so  obsti- 
nately bent  on  coming  hither?  I  have  been  well 
punished  for  my  error;  my  affections  are  too  strongly 
rooted  for  me  to  be  able  to  perform  such  deeds.  I 
hope  you  pity  me."  Speaking  again  of  himself, — 
"  Be  perfectly  at  ease  about  my  wound ;  all  the 
faculty  *  in  America  are  engaged  in  my  service.  I 
have  a  friend  who  has  spoken  to  them  in  such  a 
manner  that  I  am  certain  of  being  well  attended  to ; 
that  friend  is  General  Washington. 

"  This  excellent  man  whose  talents  and  virtues  I 
admired,  and  whom  I  have  learnt  to  revere  as  I 
know  him  better,  has  now  become  my  intimate 
friend ;  his  affectionate  interest  in  me  instantly  won 
my  heart.  I  am  established  in  his  family,  and  we 
live  together  like  two  attached  brothers,  with  mutual 
confidence  and  cordiality.  His  friendship  renders 
me  as  happy  as  I  can  possibly  be  in  this  country. 

*  Medical  faculty,  —  physicians  and  surgeons. 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  19 

When  lie  sent  his  best  surgeon  to  me,  he  told  him  to 
take  charge  of  me  as  if  I  were  his  son,  because  he 
loved  me  with,  the  same  affection.  Having  heard 
that  I  wished  to  rejoin  the  army  too  soon,  he  wrote 
me  a  letter  full  of  tenderness,  in  which  he  requested 
me  to  wait  for  the  perfect  restoration  of  my  health. 
I  give  you  these  details,  my  dearest  love,  that  you 
may  feel  quite  certain  of  the  care  that  is  taken  of  me." 

During  his  recovery,  while  he  was  compelled  to 
be  idle,  the  Marquis,  as  he  was  generally  called  in 
the  United  States,  became  very  anxious  for  news 
from  France.  In  one  letter  he  says  to  his  wife,  "  It 
is  dreadful  to  be  reduced  to  hold  no  communication 
except  by  letter  with  a  person  whom  one  loves  as  I 
love  you,  and  as  I  shall  ever  love  you  until  I  draw 
my  latest  breath.  I  have  not  missed  a  single  oppor- 
tunity, not  even  the  most  indirect  one,  of  writing  to 
you.  Do  the  same,  on  your  side,  my  dearest  life,  if 
you  love  me." 

Lafayette  occupied  himself  while  among  the  peace- 
ful Moravians  with  writing  letters  full  of  warlike 
plans  and  schemes.  But  by  his  absence  from  the 
army  he  lost  only  a  defeat.  At  the  battle  of  Ger- 
mantown,  about  three  weeks  after  that  of  the  Bran- 
dywine,  the  Americans  were  seized  with  a  sudden 


20  LAFAYETTE.  [l777. 

panic,  and  a  fog  came  up  which  confused  them,  so 
that  they  were  finally  routed,  though  they  had  begun 
very  well.  But  at  this  period  of  the  war  even 
defeats  were  useful  to  the  inexperienced  Ameri- 
cans,—  by  them  they  learned  that  they  could  fight, 
and  needed  only  more  training  to  be  equal  to  the 
British. 

Lafayette  rejoined  the  army  early  in  November, 
before  he  could  put  a  boot  upon  the  wounded  leg. 
Sir  William  Howe  was  established  in  Philadelphia 
for  the  winter,  and  had  only  to  get  possession  of  two 
forts  on  the  Delaware  River.  They  were  bravely 
defended,  but  at  last  yielded  to  superior  force.  The 
American  army  remained  on  high  ground  near  the 
city,  watching  the  enemy,  but  too  weak  to  do  much. 

Lafayette  distinguished  himself  in  a  little  action 
on  the  25th  of  November.  He  was  reconnoitring* 
with  three  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  imprudently 
ventured  too  near  one  of  the  enemy's  posts,  where 
they  had  cannon.  Instead  of  retreating,  however, 
he  boldly  attacked  them ;  they  gave  way,  supposing 
he  had  a  large  division  of  the  army,  and  thus  he  had 
an  opportunity  to  rejoin  in  safety  the  main  body. 

*  Examining  the  country  or  an  enemy's  post  in  a  military  way. 


AGE   20.]  LAFAYETTE.  21 

This  slight  success  pleased  both  the  army  and  Con- 
gress ;  and  at  this  time  they  had  to  make  the  most 
of  small- gains. 

Lafayette's  first  campaign  in  America  ended  gloom- 
ily in  the  encampment  at  Valley  Forge.  He  wrote 
hopefully,  on  the  way  thither.  "  The  American 
army  will  endeavor  to  clothe  itself,  because  it  is 
almost  in  a  state  of  nudity  ;  to  form  itself,  because 
it  requires  instruction ;  and  to  recruit  itself,  because 
it  is  feeble ;  but  the  thirteen  States  are  going  to  rouse 
themselves  and  send  us  some  men.  My  division 
will,  I  hope,  be  one  of  the  strongest,  and  I  shall  exert 
myself  to  make  it  one  of  the  best Our  Gen- 
eral is  a  man  formed,  in  truth,  for  this  Revolution, 
which  could  not  have  been  accomplished  without 
him.  I  see  him  more  intimately  than  any  other  man, 
and  I  see  that  he  is  worthy  of  the  adoration  of  his 
country.  I  admire  each  day  more  fully  the  excel- 
lence of  his  character  and  the  kindness  of  his  heart. 
"We  are  not,  I  confess,  so  strong  as  I  ex- 
pected, but  we  are  strong  enough  to  fight ;  we  shall 
do  so,  I  trust,  with  some  degree  of  success ;  and  with 
the  assistance  of  France,  we  shall  gain  the  cause 
that  I  cherish,  because  it  is  the  cause  of  justice, 
because  it  honors  humanity,  because  it  is  important 


22  LAFAYETTE.  [l777. 

to  my  country,  and  because  my  American  friends 
t  and  myself  are  deeply  engaged  in  it." 

Speaking  of  himself  as  so  young  for  the  post  he 
had  to  fill,  —  being  a  Major-General  at  twenty, — 
he  adds:  "I  read,  I  study,  I  examine,  I  listen,  I 
reflect ;  and  the  result  of  all  this  is  the  endeavor  to 
form  an  opinion  into  which  I  infuse  as  much  common 
sense  as  possible.  I  will  not  talk  much,  for  fear  of 
saying  foolish  things;  I  will  still  less  risk  acting 
much,  for  fear  of  doing  foolish  things ;  for  I  am  not 
disposed  to  abuse  the  confidence  the  Americans  have 
kindly  placed  in  me." 

Lafayette's  cheerfulness  was  put  to  a  severe  test 
during  this  winter  at  Valley  Forge.  The  sufferings 
of  the  army  were  really  terrible.  The  soldiers  lived 
in  huts,  and  clothes,  blankets,  and  shoes  were  want- 
ing. The  winter  was  a  very  cold  one,  and  food  often 
fell  short  both  for  officers  and  men.  Sickness  was 
the  natural  consequence  of  so  many  hardships  and 
exposui-es.  It  was  very  easy  for  men  to  desert* 
into  the  back  country,  and  at  times  the  force  was  so 
small  that  if  Sir  William  Howe  had  attacked  them 
they  would  have  found  it  hard  to  defend  themselves. 

*  To  leave  the  army  secretly. 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  23 

But  he  seems  never  to  have  thought  of  such  a  thing. 
The  patience  of  the  army  excited  every  one's  admi- 
ration, and  was  the  more  remarkable  because  the 
British  botli  in  Philadelphia  and  New  York  had 
every  comfort.  But  the  sight  of  their  sufferings 
naturally  prevented  the  men  of  the  neighborhood 
from  enlisting,*  and  troops  came  in  veiy  small  num- 
bers from  the  distant  States. 

The  Commander-in-chief  was  greatly  distressed  at 
the  condition  of  the  soldiers,  and  made  every  effort 
to  relieve  them.  But  the  United  States  were  very 
poor;  the  war  had  interrupted  trade  of  all  kinds, 
and  Congress  did  not  know  how  to  provide  for  the 
army. 

This  winter  proved  the  truth  of  Washington's  first 
words  to  Lafayette ;  the  young  Frenchman  shared 
all  the  privations  of  the  Americans.  "  He  adopted  in 
every  respect  American  dress,  habits,  and  food.  He 
wished  to  be  more  simple,  frugal,  and  austere  than 
the  Americans  themselves."  And  what  a  change  it 
must  have  been  from  living  in  Paris,  the  winter  be- 
fore !  There  was  one  great  pleasure  in  the  midst 
of  hardships.      General  Washington  put  great  con- 

*  Joining  the  army. 


24  LAFAYETTE.  [1777. 

fidence  in  him.  It  was  safer  for  him  to  speak  of 
anxieties  and  difficulties  to  Lafayette  than  to  the 
American  officers ;  he  was  less  likely  to  be  discour- 
aged, —  he  was  hopeful,  faithful,  and  true  ;  and  Gen- 
eral "Washington,  himself  upright  and  true,  valued 
that  quality  more  than  any  other  in  a  friend.  Lafay- 
ette had  also  influence  with  the  foreign  officers,  both 
from  France  and  other  countries,  and  thus  felt  that  he 
was  useful  at  Valley  Forge,  where  there  was  much 
discontent  among  all  ranks  of  the  army. 

He  soon  had  an  opportunity  of  proving  publicly 
his  devotion  to  the  Commander-in-chief.  In  addition 
to  the  distresses  of  the  army,  Washington  had  the 
private  trial  of  having  his  reputation  attacked  in  a 
mean,  underhand  way.  Several  discontented  officers 
and  members  of  Congress  joined  together  in  what  was 
called  Conway's  Cabal.  We  do  not  know  now  all 
that  they  wanted  to  do,  but  they  were  certainly  bent 
on  ruining  General  Washington's  reputation  as  a 
soldier,  and  were  constantly  comparing  the  failures 
of  his  last  campaign  with  successes  in  other  parts  of 
the  country. 

So  brilliant  and  popular  a  young  officer  as  Lafay- 
ette would  have  been  a  great  gain  to  their  party ;  but 
he  despised  their  arts,  which  he  saw  might  impose 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  25 

upon  the  ignorant.  People  who  are  not  accustomed 
to  war  do  not  know  that  it  is  impossible  to  fight 
without  men  and  money,  and  the  Commander-in- 
chief  was  obliged  to  keep  his  wants  secret,  lest  the 
enemy  should  find  out  his  weakness,  and  how  very 
easily  they  might  attack  him.  There  were  many 
Tories  *  always  ready  to  carry  reports  to  the  British 
camp,  and  General  Washington  bore  any  amount  of 
blame  rather  than  risk  a  loss  to  the  army.  His 
friends  were  not  idle,  —  they  put  him  on  his  guard, 
and  both  in  and  out  of  Congress  took  pains  to  make 
his  conduct  and  character  known.  Still  he  had  no 
means  of  finding  out  how  many  officers  were  engaged 
in  the  Cabal,  and,  as  suspicion  was  most  painful 
to  his  generous  temper,  Lafayette's  frank,  openly 
expressed  affection  and  sympathy  were  a  special 
comfort  to  him  this  dreary  winter. 

One  thing  which  particularly  troubled  the  Marquis 
was  that  General  Conway,  who  gave  his  name  to  the 
Cabal,  though  an  Irishman,  had  served  in  the  French 
army,  and  professed  great  devotion  to  him.  He  was 
afraid  that  other  French  officers  would  be  led  away 
by  Conway's  example  and  talking,  and  that  his  own 

*  People  who  took  sides  with  England. 


26  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

name  might  be  used  quite  too  freely.  In  a  letter  to 
the  Commander-in-chief  he  says :  "  I  don't  need  to 
tell  you  that  I  am  very  sorry  for  all  that  has  hap- 
pened for  some  time  past.  It  is  a  necessary  depend- 
ence* of  my  most  tender  and  respectful  friendship 
for  you,  which  affection  is  as  true  and  candid  as  the 
other  sentiments  of  my  heart,  and  much  stronger 
than  so  new  an  acquaintance  seems  to  admit;  but 
another  reason  to  be  concerned  in  the  present  cir- 
cumstances is  my  ardent  and  perhaps  enthusiastic 
desire  for  the  happiness  and  liberty  of  this  country. 
I  see  plainly  that  America  can  defend  herself  if 
proper  measures  are  taken,  and  now  I  begin  to  fear 
lest  she  should  be  lost  by  herself  and  her  own  sons. 

"  When  I  was  in  Europe,  I  thought  that  here  almost 
every  man  was  a  lover  of  liberty,  and  would  rather 
die  free  than  live  a  slave.  You  can  conceive  my 
astonishment  when  I  saw  that  Toryism  was  as  openly 
professed  as  "Whiggism  itself;  however,  at  that  time  I 
believed  that  all  good  Americans  were  united  togeth- 
er, —  that  the  confidence  hi .  you  was  unbounded. 
Then  I  entertained  the  certitude  that  America  would 
be  independent  in  case  she  should  not  lose  you.    Take 

*  Consequence.  —  Lafayette  always  wrote  in  English  to  Gen- 
eral Washington,  and  sometimes  made  little  mistakes. 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  27 

away  for  an  instant  that  modest  diffidence  of  your- 
self, (which,  pardon  my  freedom,  my  dear  General, 
is  sometimes  too  great,  and  I  wish  yon  could  know 
as  well  as  myself  what  difference  there  is  between 
you  and  any  other  man,)  you  would  see  very  plainly 
that  if  you  were  lost  for  America,  there  is  nobody 
who  could  keep  the  army  and  the  Revolution  for  six 
months." 

In  General  Washington's  answer  to  the  affection- 
ate letter  of  which  this  is  a  part,  he  thanked  Lafay- 
ette for  his  friendship,  explained  what  he  supposed 
to  be  the  reasons  of  Conway's  dislike  to  him,  and 
expressed  his  own  indifference  to  slander,  ending,  as 
usual,  hopefully :  "  I  have  no  doubt  that  everything 
happens  for  the  best,  that  we  shall  triumph  over  all 
our  misfortunes,  and  in  the  end  be  happy ;  when,  my 
dear  Marquis,  if  you  will  give  me  your  company  in 
Virginia,  we  will  laugh  at  our  past  difficulties,  and 
the  folly  of  others." 

Thus,  through  various  troubles,  the  attachment  of 
these  two  friends  of  different  nations,  different  edu- 
cation, different  characters,  and  different  ages,  became 
strong  and  lasting. 

In  the  course  of  the  winter,  however,  they  were 
separated.      The    Cabal,   very   anxious   to   engage 

3 


28  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

Lafayette  in  their  interest,  offered  him  a  separate 
command  at  Albany,  quite  independent  of  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief. A  few  soldiers  in  that  neighbor- 
hood were  called  the  Northern  army,  and  an  expedi- 
tion into  Canada  was  proposed.  No  doubt  such  a 
command  would  have  been  very  tempting  to  the 
vanity  and  ambition  of  many  young  officers ;  but  La- 
fayette's first  request  was  that  he  might  correspond 
with  General  Washington.  He  went  to  York  to 
arrange  plans  for  the  expedition  with  Congress,  to 
find  out  exactly  how  many  men  he  might  depend 
upon,  and  how  he  A\ras  to  treat  the  Canadians.  The 
Cabal  soon  saw  that  they  could  get  no  hold  upon 
him.  At  a  dinner  at  General  Gates's  house,  after  the 
officers  had  given  several  toasts,  he  remarked  that 
there  was  one  which  had  been  forgotten,  —  he  would 
give  them,  "The  health  of  the  Commander-in- 
chief!"  Of  course  they  could  not  refuse  to  drink 
it,  but  it  was  coldly  received,  and  Lafayette  could 
not  have  found  a  way  to  show  his  intentions  more 
clearly. 


CHAPTER    III 


A  NEW  COMMAND. 


Lafayette  set  out  on  his  horseback  journey  from 
York,  Pennsylvania,  to  Albany,  without  any  very 
bright  hopes  of  success  in  his  new  position.  The 
roads  were  blocked  up  with  snow  and  ice,  but  he 
found  some  pleasure  in  the  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
country  people  in  their  homes ;  he  liked  their  simple, 
independent  way  of  living.  He  wrote  to  General 
Washington,  on  the  way :  "I  go  on  very  slowly ; 
sometimes  drenched  by  rain,  sometimes  covered  by 
snow,  and  not  entertaining  many  handsome  thoughts 

about  the  projected  incursion  into  Canada 

Lake  Champlain  is  too  cold  for  producing  the  least 
bit  of  laurel,  and  if  I  am  not  starved  I  shall  be  as 

proud   as   if    I   had   gained   three   battles 

Could  I  believe  for  one  single  instant  that  this  pom- 
pous  command   of  a   Northern  army  will  let  your 


30  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

Excellency  forget  a  little  us  absent  friends,  then  I 
would  send  the  project  to  the  place  it  comes  from. 
But  I  dare  hope  you  will  remember  me  sometimes." 

He  was  greatly  disappointed  to  find  that  no  prepa- 
rations had  been  begun  at  Albany ;  he  immediately 
gave  orders  for  enlisting  men,  though  checked  by 
want  of  money. .  He  wrote,  "  Dear  General :  "Why 
am  I  so  far  from  you,  and  what  business  had  the 
Board  of  War  to  hurry  me  through  the  ice  and  snow 
without  knowing  what  I  should  do,  neither  what  they 
were  doing  themselves  ? "  The  plan  had  been  to 
cross  the  lake  upon  the  ice,  and  some  Canadians 
showed  an  interest  in  the  Marquis ;  but  the  British 
general  was  much  stronger  than  Congress  had  sup- 
posed, and  repeated  delays  in  the  supplies  which  had 
been  promised  convinced  Lafayette  that  the  scheme 
was  useless.  He  might  possibly  have  dashed  into 
the  enemy's  country  with  a  handful  of  half-clothed 
troops,  and  have  accomplished  some  one  brilliant 
little  action ;  but  it  would  have  done  no  good,  and  he 
had  the  good  sense  not  to  risk  men's  lives  for  the 
sake  of  his  own  distinction. 

Still  to  do  nothing  at  all  was  a  trial,  and  he  began 
soon  to  be  distressed  about  his  reputation.  He  wrote 
to  his  best  friend :  "  I  confess,  my  dear  General,  that 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  31 

I  find  myself  of  very  quick  feelings  whenever  my 
reputation  and  glory  are  concerned  in  anything.  It 
is  very  hard  indeed  that  such  a  part  of  my  happiness, 
without  which  I  cannot  five,  should  depend  upon 
schemes  which  I  never  knew  of  but  when  it  is  too 
late  to  put  them  into  execution.  I  assure  you,  my 
most  dear  and  respected  friend,  that  I  am  more 
unhappy  than  I  ever  was. 

"  My  desire  of  doing  something  was  such  that  I 
have  thought  of  doing  it  by  surprise  with  a  detach- 
ment ;  but  it  seems  to  me  rash,  and  quite  impossible. 
I  should  be  very  happy  if  you  were  here  to  give  me 
some  advice ;  but  I  have  nobody  to  consult  with." 

In  March  the  ice  began  to  melt,  and  Lafayette 
with  regret  gave  up  his  last  hope  of  action,  and 
obeyed  the  counsels  of  prudence.  General  Wash- 
ington's answer  to  his  letter  did  not  arrive  until  after 
his  decision,  but  was  full  of  sympathy  and  consola- 
tion, and  Congress  thanked  him  for  his  wisdom 
and  forbearance. 

He  endeavored  to  make  better  arrangements  for 
the  troops  in  the  neighborhood  of  Albany,  and  to 
protect  the  country  people  from  the  attacks  of  the 
Indians.  He  was  present  at  a  meeting  of  chiefs  of 
the  Oneidas,  Tuscaroras,  and  other  tribes,  with  Gen- 


32  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

eral  Schuyler  and  Mr.  Duane,  who  were  charged 
with  the  management  of  Indian  affairs.  He  made 
speeches,  and,  like  many  other  Frenchmen,  had  much 
more  influence  over  the  Indians  than  the  English. 
They  gave  him  the  name  of  Kayewla,  and  kept 
him  in  remembrance  for  many  years.  On  his  part, 
he  was  quite  pleased  with  the  politics  of  the  old 
sachems.* 

Early  in  the  spring  Lafayette  rejoined  Wash- 
ington at  Valley  Forge,  and  found  the  army  in  a 
better  state  than  when  he  left  it.  The  Cabal  had 
lost  its  power,  and  General  Washington  was  more 
beloved  than  ever. 

The  2d  of  May,  1778,  was  celebrated  joyfully  by 
the  army,  because  they  had  received  the  news  that 
France  had  joined  with  them  in  the  war  against 
England.  It  was  agreed  that  neither  nation  should 
make  peace  separately,  and  the  Americans  had  hopes 
of  great  assistance  from  so  powerful  an  ally.f  This 
event  gave  much  pleasure  to  the  Marquis ;  he  had 
been  wishing  for  it  a  long  time,  and  though  he  was 
in  disgrace  with  the  French  government  on  account 
of  the  manner  in  which  he  quitted  the  country,  he 

*  Chiefs  of  tribes. 

t  A  person  or  nation  who  is  bound  by  promise  to  help  another. 


AGE   20.]  LAFAYETTE.  33 

had   many   friends  and  relations  at   court,  and  his 
letters  may  have  influenced  people  in  power. 

He,  unlike  many  discontented  foreigners,  always 
sent  home  favorable  accounts  of  the  United  States. 
In  this  country,  also,  he  tried  to  make  the  people  feel 
kindly  towards  France ;  but  there  were  some  obsta- 
cles in  his  way.  For  hundreds  of  years  the  English 
and  French  had  been  enemies,  often  fighting,  always 
laughing  at  and  despising  each  other ;  and  the  Amer- 
icans, being  descended  from  the  English,  had  inher- 
ited many  of  their  prejudices.  Lafayette  was  very 
much  liked  here,  on  account  of  his  pleasant  manners, 
his  enthusiasm  for  liberty,  and  his  romantic  story; 
and  his  wish  was  to  turn  his  own  popularity  into  an 
affection  for  his  beloved  country. 

At  the  same  time  Avith  these  good  tidings  from 
France,  came  the  news  that  Great  Britain  would  send 
commissioners  to  make  one  more  effort  for  peace. 
But  still  the  King  refused  to  acknowledge  that  the 
States  were  independent,  and  Congress  would  listen 
to  nothing  short  of  that. 

The  campaign  of  1778  opened  rather  late.  Sir 
William  Howe  was  in  no  haste  to  leave  Philadelphia. 
On  the  18th  of  May,  General  "Washington  sent 
Lafayette  with  2,000  chosen  men  across  the  Schuyl- 


34  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

kill  River,  to  get  information  of  the  enemy's  move- 
ments and  plans.  The  Marquis  proceeded  to  Barren 
Hill,  about  eleven  miles  from  both  armies.  He 
stationed  his  troops  there,  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
20th  was  told  that  some  red  dragoons*  whom  he 
was  expecting  had  arrived  at  Whitemarsh,  on  the 
left  of  his  force.  On  examining  carefully  into  the 
truth  of  this  story,  he  found  that  a  column  of  red- 
coated  British  soldiers  was  advancing  upon  him. 
He  had  just  altered  the  position  of  his  troops,  that 
he  might  receive  the  enemy  better,  when  he  was 
told  that  they  were  also  on  a  road  behind  him. 
This  information  was  brought  to  him  in  presence  of 
the  men,  and,  unpleasant  as  it  was,  he  forced  himself 
to  smile.     No  general  should  ever  look  discouraged. 

He  immediately  decided  to  march  rapidly,  but 
without  hurrying,  to  Matson's  Ford ;  the  enemy  was 
nearer  to  it  than  he.  General  Grant,  commanding 
a  detachment  of  7,000  men,  had  possession  of  heights 
above  the  road ;  but  he  was  deceived  by  Lafayette's 
coolness  and  skilful  arrangement  of  his  men,  and 
fancied  that  he  saw  but  a  part  of  his  force.  While  he 
was  examining,  the  whole  body  passed  by  him. 

*  Soldiers  who  are  usually  on  horseback,  heavier  armed  than 
cavalry. 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  35 

General  Grey's  column  of  2,000,  now  in  the  rear, 
was  imposed  upon  in  the  same  way,  and  Lafayette 
succeeded  in  arranging  his  men  on  the  opposite  bank 
of  the  Schuylkill  before  any  attack  had  been  made. 
A  third  division  of  the  British  army  came  up,  and 
the  generals  were  astonished  to  find  that  they  had 
only  each  other  to  fight  with.  They  decided  not  to 
cross  the  river,  but  returned  to  Philadelphia,  much 
disappointed  that  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette  was  not 
their  prisoner.  Sir  William  Howe  had  been  so  sure 
of  taking  him,  that  he  had  invited  some  ladies  to 
meet  him  at  supper.  Lafayette  likewise  marched 
back  to  Valley  Forge,  where  he  was  received  with 
great  joy.  The  alarm  had  reached  the  camp,  and 
General  Washington  had  feared  not  only  a  repulse, 
but  the  loss  of  the  best  men  in  his  army.  The 
Marquis's  conduct  on  this  day  added  much  to  his 
reputation  as  a  military  man,  for  it  was  thought 
remarkable  that  so  young  a  general  had  proved  more 
than  a  match  for  two  old  ones. 

Li  June  Lafayette  received  the  sad  news  of  the 
death  of  his  oldest  child,  a  little  girl.  For  a  time, 
all  his  thoughts  turned  to  France,  and  he  would  have 
been  glad  to  go  home  to  console  his  wife;  but  a 
soldier  cannot  leave  his  post  in  the  middle  of  a 
campaign. 


36  LAFAYETTE.  [1778. 

On  the  17th  of  June  the  British  army  left  Phil- 
adelphia, and  began  to  march  through  New  Jersey. 

There  was  a  great  division  of  opinion  among  the 
American  officers  as  to  the  propriety  of  attacking 
them,  or  letting  them  go  undisturbed.  General  Lee, 
a  distinguished  officer,  (English  by  birth,  but  who 
had  served  in  many  countries,)  spoke  warmly  in  favor 
of  letting  them  go.  He  said  the  time  was  unfavor- 
able for  an  attack,  and  that  the  Americans  should 
rather  help  than  hinder  the  departure  of  the  enemy. 

Lafayette  took  the  opposite  side  of  the  question, 
and  thought  it  would  be  disgraceful  to  allow  the 
enemy  to  pass .  quietly  through  the  State.  Though 
Lee's  opinion  had  great  weight,  on  account  of  his 
age  and  experience,  some  of  the  officers  agreed  with 
Lafayette,  and  the  Commander-in-chief  decided  that 
an  attack  should  be  made  on  the  rear  of  the  British 
force. 

A  division  of  the  army  was  to  be  sent  forward  for 
this  purpose.  The  command  of  it  belonged  by  rank 
to  General  Lee ;  but,  as  he  had  never  liked  the  plan, 
General  Washington,  with  his  consent,  gave  it  to 
Lafayette.  Lee  then  changed  his  mind  and  wished 
to  take  it  himself,  but  was  persuaded  to  yield ;  find- 
ing, however,  it  was  to  be  a  large  detachment,  he 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  37 

again  requested  the  Commander-in-chief  to  allow 
him  to  lead  it.  So  many  changes  were  very  trying 
to  Lafayette's  temper,  —  he  was  a  young  general, 
and  eager  for  the  glory  which  Lee  had  won  years 
before ;  the  command  of  a  division,  any  opportunity 
for  distinction,  was  very  rare  during  this  tedious  war, 
and  much  sought  for,  —  but  he  was  thoroughly 
obliging.  General  Lee  said  to  him,  "  It  is  my  fortune 
and  honor  that  I  place  in  your  hands ;  you  are  too 
generous  to  cause  the  loss  of  both ; "  and  Lafayette, 
after  he  had  actually  left  the  camp,  wrote,  in  a  note 
to  General  Washington,  "  Sir,  I  want  to  repeat  to  you 
in  writing  what  I  have  told  to  you ;  which  is,  that 
if  you  believe  it,  or  if  it  is  believed  necessary  or  use- 
ful to  the  good  of  the  service  and  the  honor  of  Gen- 
eral Lee,  to  send  him  clown  with  a  couple  of  thousand 
men,  or  any  greater  force,  I  will  cheerfully  obey 
and  serve  him,  not  only  out  of  duty,  but  out  of  what 
I  owe  to  that  gentleman's  character."  This  was  the 
more  generous  on  his  part,  because  he  and  Lee  had 
constant  little  disagreements.  General  Lee  had  very 
strong  English  prejudices,  and  the  Marquis  was  an 
ardent  Frenchman.  Finally  the  Commander-m- 
chief  increased  the  number  of  troops,  thus  making 
it  more  proper  to  give  the  command  to  the  person 


38  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

next  to  himself  in  rank,  and  at  the  same  time 
requested  General  Lee  not  to  alter  any  arrangements 
which  Lafayette  had  already  made. 

On  the  28th  of  June  the  battle  of  Monmouth  was 
fought.  The  Americans  attacked  the  British  army 
as  it  was  leaving  the  town,  but  General  Lee's  con- 
duct was  very  strange ;  he  ordered  his  men  to  retreat 
early  in  the  day,  and  at  the  very  moment  when  the 
Commander-in-chief  was  bringing  up  the  main  body 
of  the  army.  The  meeting  of  course  produced  great 
confusion,  and  General  "Washington  was  exceedingly 
displeased.  With  great  quickness  and  with  the  best 
judgment,  he  rearranged  the  troops,  and  the  Amer- 
icans gained  a  decided  advantage.  Lafayette  says  of 
him :  "  General  Washington  was  never  greater  in 
battle  than  in  this  action.  His  graceful  bearing  on 
horseback,  his  calm  and  dignified  deportment,  which 
still  retained  some  trace  of  the  displeasure  he  had 
experienced  in  the  morning,  were  all  calculated  to 
excite  the  highest  degree  of  enthusiasm."  The 
Marquis  himself  was  in  constant  motion  from  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning  until  night,  when  the  battle 
ended.  He  was  first  ordered  to  cross  an  exposed 
plain  to  attack  the  enemy's  left,  and  then  to  fall  back ; 
he  had  only  to  obey  General  Lee's  orders,  though  he 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  39 

could  not  understand  them.  Afterwards,  while  Gen- 
eral Washington  was  forming  his  new  lines,  he 
undertook  to  keep  back  the  advancing  enemy.  "  The 
heat  was  so  intense  that  soldiers  fell  dead  without 
having  received  a  single  wound." 

At  night  Washington  and  Lafayette  lay  down 
upon  the  same  cloak,  talking  of  General  Lee's 
behavior,  and  expecting  to  renew  the  fight  in  the 
morning.  But  when  daylight  came  they  found  that 
the  British  had  moved  on,  and  General  "Washington 
thought  his  men  too  much  exhausted  to  pursue  them 
in  such  sultry  weather. 

The  next  important  event  was  the  arrival  of  a 
French  fleet  off  New  York  harbor.  Lafayette  was 
disappointed  in  his  first  hopes  that  the  ships  would 
attack  the  city  by  sea,  while  "Washington  did  the 
same  by  land.  No  pilot  could  be  found  to  take  the 
large  vessels  into  the  harbor. 

A  plan  was  then  formed  for  an  attack  on  Rhode 
Island  by  the  fleet  combined  with  land  forces.  Gen- 
eral Sullivan  was  already  at  Providence,  and  La- 
fayette and  General  Greene  were  despatched  from 
head-quarters. 

But   this    expedition   was    likewise    unfortunate. 
The  land  forces  were  not  ready  when  the  fleet  ap- 


40  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

peared  off  Newport,  and  while  the  French  admiral* 
was  waiting  for  them,  Lord  Howe,  who  had  watched 
his  movements,  came  to  meet  him.  The  two  fleets 
immediately  put  out  to  sea,  with  the  intention  of 
fighting;  but  a  violent  storm  scattered  them,  and 
when  the  French  admiral  returned  to  Newport  he 
declared  that  he  must  go  immediately  to  Boston  to 
refit  his  ships.  This  was  a  terrible  blow  to  the 
Americans  who,  in  the  mean  time,  had  drawn  near 
Newport,  and  were  hoping  to  make  the  combined 
attack.  Lafayette  and  General  Greene  were  sent 
on  board  Count  d'Estaing's  ship  to  urge  him  to 
remain,  but  they  could  not  prevail  upon  him  to 
do   so. 

Lafayette's  regret,  deep  as  it  was,  was  soon  min- 
gled with  indignation.  All  the  American  officers, 
except  General  Greene,  spoke  of  the  admiral's  con- 
duct with  great  bitterness,  and  General  Sullivan 
even  went  so  far  as  to  say  publicly  "our  allies 
have  deserted  us. "  It  was  perfectly  natural  that 
they  should  feel  vexed  a*nd  disappointed,  but  very 
unwise  to  expi'ess  their  feelings  so  strongly ;  for  when 
people  of  different  nations  are  trying  to  act  together, 

*  Count  d'Eataing. 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  41 

they  must  pass  lightly  over  causes  of  disagreement, 
and  do  their  best  to  keep  the  peace  while  they  make 
war. 

Such  language  touched  Lafayette  in  a  most  sen- 
sitive place ;  his  country's  honor  was  dear  to  him. 
He  wrote  to  General  "Washington :  "  My  reason  for 
not  writing  the  same  day  the  French  fleet  went  to 
Boston  was  that  I  did  not  choose  to  trouble  your 
friendship  with  the  sentiments  of  an  injured,  afflicted 
heart,  and  injured  by  that  very  people  I  came  from 
so  far  to  love  and  support.  Don't  be  surprised,  my 
dear  General ;  the  generosity  of  your  honorable  mind 
would  be  offended  at  the  shocking  sight  I  have 
under  my  eyes."  And  further  on,  after  a  long  account 
of  the  troubles,  he  says :  "  Remember,  my  dear 
General,  that  I  don't  speak  to  the  Commander-in- 
chief,  but  to  my  friend;  that  I  am  far  from  com- 
plaining of  anybody.  I  have  no  complaints  to  make 
to  you  against  any  one,  but  I  lament  with  you  that  I 
have  had  an  occasion  of  seeing  so  ungenerous  sen- 
timents in  American  hearts I  earnestly  beg 

you  will  recommend  to  the  several  chief  persons  of 
Boston  to  do  everything  they  can  to  put  the  French 
fleet  in  a  situation  for  sailing  soon.  Give  me  leave 
to  add  that  I  wish  many  people,  by  the  declaration 


42  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

of  your  sentiments  in  that  affair,  could  learn  how  to 
regulate  theirs,  and  blush  at  the  sight  of  your  gener- 
osity. 

"  Farewell,  my  dear  General.  Whenever  I  quit 
you,  I  meet  with  some  disappointment  and  misfortune. 
I  did  not  need  it,  to  desire  seeing  you  as  much  as 
possible." 

The  Commander-in-chief  did,  in  fact,  act  as  peace- 
maker, and  wrote  most  pressing  letters  to  the  officers, 
trying  to  infuse  into  their  minds  a  little  of  his  own 
patience  and  consideration.  In  spite  of  his  indig- 
nation, Lafayette  did  the  same,  and  made  the  best 
use  of  his  influence  in  Boston.  He  was  constantly 
sent  with  messages  from  the  army  to  the  fleet,  and 
even  followed  the  Admiral  to  Boston  to  arrange 
plans. 

While  he  was  absent,  General  Sullivan  removed 
the  troops  from  the  neighborhood  of  Newport  to  the 
northern  end  of  Rhode  Island,  and  Lafayette  hurried 
back,  expecting  an  engagement.  He  travelled  on 
horseback  eighty  miles  in  eight  hours,  but  arrived 
only  in  time  to  meet  the  main  body  crossing  the 
ferry  between  Rhode  Island  and  the  main  land. 
A  thousand  men,  the  rear-guard,*  had  been  left  on 

*  Those  Avho  come  last  in  marching. 


AGE    20.]  LAFAYETTE.  43 

the  island,  and  were  almost  surrounded  by  the  enemy. 
Lafayette  took  the  command  of  them,  and  succeeded 
in  withdrawing  them  without  the  loss  of  a  single  life. 
When  Congress  returned  thanks  for  his  conduct 
during  this  retreat,  they  also  expressed  their  grat- 
itude to  him  for  undertaking  the  journey  to  Boston 
a  at  a  period  when  he  might  rationally  have  expected 
an  engagement." 

No  battle  took  place  in  the  State  of  Rhode  Island, 
and  the  British  were  left  at  Newport  exactly  as  they 
had  been  before  the  expedition  was  proposed. 
Lafayette  went  again  to  Boston  for  a  little  while, 
hoping  to  be  of  use  to  his  countrymen  there,  and 
afterwards  rejoined  the  main  body  of  the  army. 

At  this  time,  Lord  Carlisle,  one  of  the  British 
commissioners  sent  to  Congress,  made  use,  in  a 
public  letter,  of  some  expression  insulting  to  France. 
Lafayette,  therefore,  challenged  him  to  fight  a  duel, 
which  was  rather  a  boyish  act,  as  Lord  Carlisle  was 
not  a  man  to  fight,  nor  in  a  proper  position  to  accept 
a  challenge.  He  refused  it;  but  even  people  who 
disapproved  of  Lafayette's  conduct  saw  clearly  that 
his  high  spirit  and  love  of  his  country  were  the 
motives  of  it.  Fighting  a  duel  was  not  in  those 
days,  and  especially  among  the  French,  the  disgrace- 
4 


44  LAFAYETTE.  [l778. 

ful  act  that  it  is  now  considered  in  most  civilized 
countries. 

The  campaign  of  1778  drew  to  a  close  in  the 
United  States,  and,  as  France  was  at  war,  Lafayette 
thought  it  his  duty  to  return  to  his  native  country, 
and  asked  permission  of  Congress  to  do  so.  This 
was  immediately  granted,  with  the  warmest  thanks 
for  his  services.  A  sword  was  ordered  to  be  pre- 
sented to  him,  and  a  ship  of  war,  the  Alliance, 
chosen  to  convey  him  home. 

He  was  to  embark  at  Boston,  and  set  out  on 
horseback  from  Philadelphia.  His  journey  was  often 
interrupted  by  entertainments  at  various  places,  and 
was  at  last  brought  to  an  end  by  a  severe  fever. 
He  had  had  a  great  deal  of  labor  and  exposure, 
besides  excitement  of  mind,  at  Rhode  Island;  and, 
although  he  struggled  hard  to  keep  up  during  this 
journey,  his  strength  was  no  longer  sufficient  to  resist 
the  violence  of  the  disease.  Fortunately  he  was 
able  to  reach  Fishkill,  on  the  Hudson,  eight  miles 
from  the  headquarters  of  the  army.  Dr.  Cochran, 
the  chief  surgeon,  was  devoted  to  him,  and  General 
Washington  came  every  day  to  inquire  about  him. 
He  became  so  ill  that  his  death  was  constantly 
expected  for   several  days,   and  every  one   in  the 


AGE    21.]  LAFAYETTE.  45 

army,  from  the  Comniander-ru-chief  to  the  private 
soldiers,  expressed  the  sincerest  grief.  The  idea  of 
this  young  foreigner  dying  in  a  strange  land  just 
when  he  was  expecting  to  go  home,  touched  every 
one's  feelings.  His  mind  was  perfectly  clear ;  he 
made  some  necessary  arrangements  in  case  of  his 
death,  and  then  only  regretted  that  he  could  not  see 
again  those  whom  he  loved  best. 

But  the  fever  did  not  prove  fatal ;  he  recovered, 
and  at  the  end  of  three  months  Avas  thinking  again 
of  his  voyage.  He  took  a  most  affectionate  leave  of 
General  Washington,  to  whom  he  had  become  more 
and  more  attached,  ever  since  he  arrived  in  America. 
He  respected  and  admired  "Washington  as  much  as 
he  loved  him ;  —  when  absent,  he  constantly  turned 
to  him  for  sympathy  and  advice ;  when  they  could  be 
together,  he  was  always  happy.  What  a  fortunate 
man  to  have  such  a  friend  ! 

He  proceeded  to  Boston  hi  January,  1779.  The 
citizens,  who  had  always  been  very  friendly  to  him, 
now  paid  him  the  kindest  attentions,  and  he  was  sup- 
plied with  excellent  Madeira  wine,  which  he  found 
very  useful  in  restoring  his  strength.  He  was  de- 
layed a  few  days,  because  the  crew  of  the  Alliance  was 
not  complete,  and  it  was  finally  filled  up  with  some 


46  LAFAYETTE.  [l779. 

British  deserters  and  prisoners.  The  Marquis  wrote 
letters  to  Canada,  sent  presents  to  the  Indians,  and 
repeated  his  farewells  to  his  friends.  A  long  letter 
to  General  Washington  ends  thus :  "  Farewell,  my 
most  beloved  General.  It  is  not  without  emotion  I 
bid  you  this  last  adieu  before  so  long  a  separation. 
Don't  forget  an  absent  friend,  and  believe  me,  for 
ever  and  ever,  with  the  highest  respect  and  tenderest 
affection,  Lafayette."  As  he  did  not  sail  immediately, 
he  opened  his  letter  to  say  good  by  once  more. 


CHAPTER    IV 


THE  TWO   ALLIANCES. 


The  Alliance  sailed  on  the  11th  of  January,  1779, 
and  her  passage  was  stormy ;  but  Lafayette  had  to 
meet  a  greater  danger  within  the  ship  than  that  from 
winds  and  waves  without.  Eight  days  before  they 
reached  the  coast  of  France,  the  Englishmen  on 
board  formed  a  design  of  getting  possession  of  the 
ship  and  guns,  and  then  killing  the  officers,  passen- 
gers, and  any  of  the  crew  who  should  resist.  They 
would  then  have  taken  the  ship  into  some  British 
harbor,  and  would  have  received  as  much  money  as 
she  was  worth. 

Fortunately,  the  mutineers,*  mistaking  an  Ameri- 
can for  an  Irishman,  told  him  of  then-  plot,  and 
offered  him  the  command  of  the  vessel.     He  gave 

*  Men  determined  not  to  obev  their  officers. 


48  LAFAYETTE.  [l779. 

warning  to  the  captain  and  to  Lafayette  just  one  hour 
before  the  ship  was  to  be  seized.  They  rushed  on 
deck,  sword  in  hand,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
passengers  and  French  and  American  sailors,  secured 
thirty-one  of  the  British.  The  rest  of  the  crew 
were  not  strong  enough  to  carry  on  the  mutiny,  and 
the  ship  went  safely  on  her  way. 

As  soon  as  he  landed  in  France,  Lafayette  has- 
tened to  Paris,  and  was  delighted  to  meet  his  own 
family  and  friends  once  more.  He  had  much  to  tell 
of  a  world  unknown  to  Parisians,  but  which  he  was 
determined  to  make  them  care  for.  His  mind  was 
constantly  full  of  schemes  for  carrying  on  the  war, 
—  for  annoying  England  and  helping  America.  He 
was  still  out  of  favor  with  government  for  the  way 
in  which  he  had  left  the  kingdom ;  but  all  France 
was  proud  of  his  bravery,  and  delighted  with  his 
romantic  enthusiasm.  We  can  hardly  imagine  how 
much  a  young  nobleman  who  had  had  such  uncom- 
mon adventures  would  be  talked  about.  He  was,  as 
a  matter  of  form,  desired  not  to  appear  in  public 
places,  and  to  visit  only  his  relations ;  but,  as  he  and 
his  wife  had  an  enormous  number  of  them,  such  an 
order  did  not  oblige  him  to  lead  a  very  quiet  life. 
The  court  ladies  were  eager  to  see  him,  and  the 


AGE    21.]  LAFAYETTE.  49 

ministers  had  many  questions  to  ask  him.  He  soon 
received  the  honorable  appointment  of  colonel  of  a 
regiment  of  the  King's  dragoons,  and  began  to 
correspond  with  the  minister  of  war  about  his 
various  plans  for  the  benefit  of  his  adopted 
country. 

He  had  left  the  United  States  fired  with  the  idea 
of  a  grand  expedition  against  Canada ;  but  the 
French  government  was  as  slow  to  engage  in  so  ex- 
pensive a  plan  as  Congress  had  been,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  be  content  with  a  more  moderate  scheme. 
He  next  proposed  that  a  small  fleet  should  appear  off 
some  of  the  large  and  rich  English  towns,  such  as 
Liverpool ;  the  inhabitants,  for  fear  of  injury  to  their 
houses  and  shops,  would  probably  pay  large  sums 
of  money,  and  the  amount  so  collected  should  be 
devoted  to  the  American  cause. 

But  this  project  also  was  not  acceptable  to  the 
ministers,  and  while  they  were  taking  counsel  Avith 
Spain  about  a  grand  invasion  of  England,  Lafayette 
asked  and  obtained  for  the  United  States  the  assist^ 
ance  of  land  troops,  which  had  not  been  sent  up  to 
this  time,  and  which  Congress  had  not  desired  him 
to  ask  for.  He  was  perfectly  sure,  however,  that 
they  were  necessary,  and  that  the  ministers  would  be 


50  LAFAYETTE.  [  1779 

more  ready  to  send  a  good  fleet  if  they  were  inter- 
ested in  the  officers  of  the  army. 

In  August,  1779,  the  grandson  of  Dr.  Franklin 
who  was  the  envoy  of  the  United  States  in  Paris, 
presented  to  him  the  sword  ordered  by  Congress, 
Avhich  had  been  made  in  France.  It  was  engraved 
with  figures  representing  his  exploits  at  Gloucester, 
Barren  Hill,  Monmouth,  and  Rhode  Island.  Dr. 
Franklin  said,  in  the  letter  which  accompanied  it, 
"  By  the  help  of  the  exquisite  artists  of  France,  I  find 
it  easy  to  express  everything  but  the  sense  we  have 
of  your  worth  and  our  obligations  to  you ;  for  this, 
figures  and  even  words  are  insufficient." 

Lafayette's  heart  was  certainly  half  in  America, 
during  the  whole  summer.  He  wrote  to  General 
"Washington :  "  I  cannot  express  to  you  how  uneasy 
I  feel  on  account  of  your  health,  and  the  dangers 
you  are,  perhaps  at  this  moment,  exposing  yourself 
to.  These  you  may  possibly  laugh  at  and  call  wo- 
manlike considerations  ;  but  so,  my  dear  friend,  I  feel, 
and  I  never  could  conceal  the  sentiments  of  my  heart. 

I  know,  my  dear  General,  you  wish  to  hear 

something  about  my  private  affairs.  My  family,  my 
friends,  and  my  countrymen  made  me  such  a  recep- 
tion, and  showed  me  every  day  such  an  affection  as 


AGE    21.]  LAFAYETTE.  51 

I  should  not  have  dared  to  hope What  I 

wish,  my  dear  General,  what  would  make  me  the 
happiest  of  men,  is  to  join  American  colors,  or  to  put 
under  your  orders  a  division  of  four  or  five  thousand 
countrymen  of  mine 

"  All  Europe  wants  to  see  you  so  much,  my  dear 
Sir,  that  you  cannot  refuse  them  that  pleasure.  I 
have  boldly  affirmed  that  you  will  pay  me  a  visit 
after  the  peace  is  settled ;  so  that,  if  you  deny  me,  you 
will   hurt   your   friend's  reputation   throughout   the 

world I   most   earnestly  entreat   you,   my 

dear  General,  to  let  me  hear  from  you.  "Write  me 
how  you  do,  how  things  are  going  on.  The  minut- 
est detail  will  be  interesting.  Don't  forget  me,  my 
dear  General ;  be  ever  as  affectionate  to  me  as  you 
have  been ;  these  sentiments  I  deserve  from  the 
ardent  ones  which  fill  my  heart." 

In  a  letter  written  on  the  7th  of  October,  1779,  he 
laments  that  he  has  not  once  heard  from  General 
Washington,  and  says:  "Let  me  beseech  you,  my 
dear  General,  by  that  mutual  tender  and  experienced 
friendship  in  which  I  have  put  an  immense  portion 
of  my  happiness,  to  be  very  exact  in  inquiring  for 
occasions,  and  never  to  miss  those  which  may  convey 
to  me  letters  that  I  shall  be  so  much  pleased  to  re- 


52  LAFAYETTE.  [l779. 

ceive Be  certain,  my  dear  General,  that  in 

any  situation,  in  any  case,  let  me  act  as  a  French  or 
as  an  American  officer,  my  first  wish,  my  first  pleas- 
ure, will  be  to  serve  again  with  you.  However 
happy  I  am  in  France,  however  well  treated  by  my 
country  and  king,  I  have  taken  such  a  habit  of  being 
with  you,  —  I  am  tied  to  you,  to  America,  to  my  fel- 
low-soldiers by  such  an  affection,  —  that  the  moment 
when  I  shall  sail  for  your  country  will  be  one  of  the 
most  wished-for  and  the  happiest  of  my  life." 

During  the  autumn  and  winter  he  persevered  in 
his  efforts  to  obtain  money  and  land  forces  for  the 
American  army,  and  he  was  at  last  successful ;  the 
money  was  placed  at  General  Washington's  disposal, 
the  troops  were  to  be  commanded  by 'Count  Eocham^ 
beau,  and  Lafayette  was  to  resume  his  station  in 
the  service  of  the  United  States. 

He  sailed  from  France  the  second  time  in  March, 
1780.  No  despatches  from  government  delayed  his 
departure,  and  on  the  27th  of  April  he  wrote  from 
Boston  harbor  to  announce  his  arrival  to  the  Com-, 
mander-in-chief.  The  people  of  Boston  received  the 
Marquis  with  the  greatest  joy.  He  was  taken  in 
triumph  to  Governor  Hancock's  house,  but  he  was 
too  impatient  to  see   General  Washington  to  allow 


AGE   22.]  LAFAYETTE.  53 

himself  to  be  long  detained  by  any  festivities.  This 
welcome,  however,  was  for  himself:  nothing  was 
known  as  yet  of  the  good  news  he  brought. 

He  hastened  on  to  head-quarters.  "  After  the  first 
pleasui'e  of  their  meeting  was  over,"  he  learned  from 
General  Washington  the  bad  state  of  the  American 
army.  Money  and  provisions  were  scarce,  and  it 
was  very  difficult  to  collect  men;  the  country  was 
exhausted  and  indifferent.  Then  Lafayette  revealed 
his  good  tidings ;  he  had  gone  beyond  the  orders  of 
Congress,  but  the  wants  of  the  United  States  were 
exactly  those  which  he  had  supposed,  and  Wash- 
ington felt  the .  strongest  hope  that  the  timely  arrival 
of  the  French  fleet  would  rouse  the  Americans  to 
fresh  exertions. 

Secret  preparations  were  made  for  the  fleet  at 
Newport,  Rhode  Island.  It  was  expected  in  July, 
and  Lafayette  took  up  his  station  in  the  front  of  the 
Commander-in-chief's  division  of  the  army,  which  was 
established  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  River.  He 
had  brought  from  France  swords,  banners,  and  some 
ornaments  for  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  his  corps,* 
—  he  was  so  much  attached  to  them,  that  it  was  like 

*  A  body  of  troops  used  to  acting  together. 


54  LAFAYETTE.  [l779. 

giving  presents  to  his  friends.  Clothes,  much  needed 
by  many  others  beside  his  men,  had  been  promised 
in  France,  but  never  came. 

The  French  fleet  arrived  at  the  appointed  time, 
and  the  first  plan  proposed  was  that  of  a  joint  attack 
on  New  York ;  but  all  hopes  of  an  action  were  soon 
overthrown  by  the  blockade  of  the  French  fleet  in 
Newport  harbor.  The  English  squadron  was  decid- 
edly larger,  and  the  French  admiral  could  not  move. 
Count  Rochambeau  would  very  gladly  have  joined 
General  Washington  in  an  attack  by  land ;  but  there 
seemed  not  the  smallest  prospect  of  success,  unless 
the  ships  could  assist  them.  This  state  of  things 
was  exceedingly  trying  to  Lafayette,  who  was  "Wash- 
ington's messenger  and  secretary  in  all  his  communi- 
cations with  the  Count,  and  was  positively  longing 
to  see  something  accomplished. 

During  his  first  visit  to  Rhode  Island,  however,  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  finding  the  allied  armies  on  very 
friendly  terms.  He  wrote  to  General  Washington 
that,  on  the  arrival  of  some  American  militia-men, 
"  every  French  soldier  and  officer  took  an  American 
with  him,  and  divided  his  bed  and  his  supper  with 

him  in  a  most  friendly  manner The  French 

discipline  is  such  that  chickens  and  pigs  walk  between 


AGE    22.]  LAFAYETTE.  55 

the  tents  without  being  disturbed,  and  that  there  is 
in  the  camp  a  corn-field  of  which  not  one  leaf  has 
been  touched.  The  Tories  don't  know  what  to  say 
to  it."  To  understand  what  high  praise  this  is,  you 
must  remember  that  soldiers  are  generally  very 
careless  in  their  habits,  and  are  apt  to  compel  farmers 
to  give  them  whatever  they  can  see  in  the  way  of 
food.  To  prevent  their  doing  mischief  requires 
great  care  on  the  part  of  the  officers,  as  well  as  obe- 
dience and  good-temper  from  the  men. 

While  waiting  for  further  aid  from  France,  Count 
Eochambeau  was  very  desirous  of  seeing  General 
Washington,  who  found  it  difficult  to  leave  head- 
quarters. On  the  18th  of  September,  however,  he 
set  out  for  Hartford,  Connecticut,  where  he  had  a 
most  agreeable  meeting  with  the  Count.  He  re- 
turned to  West  Point  on  the  25th,  a  few  hours  after 
the  escape  of  General  Arnold,  who  had  betrayed  the 
place  to  the  enemy.  The  arrest  of  the  unfortunate 
Major  Andre,  the  British  officer  who  made  the 
agreement  with  Arnold,  prevented  Sir  Henry  Clin- 
ton from  gaining  any  advantage  by  this  piece  of 
treachery ;  but  the  first  discovery  of  it  was  appalling 
to  the  Commander-in-chief,  and  to  all  those  about 
him.  Lafayette  was  walking  up  to  Arnold's  house 
with  General  Washington  and  General  Knox,  when 


56  LAFAYETTE.  [l780. 

Colonel  Hamilton  came  out  and  said  a  few  words  to 
the  Commander-in-chief  in  a  low  voice,  but  this 
probably  excited  no  surprise  in  the  minds  of  his 
companions.  In  a  short  time,  however,  Washington 
rejoined  them,  and  put  into  their  hands  the  papers 
which  proved  Arnold's  guilt.  They  were  shocked, 
for,  though  General  Arnold's  character  was  not  en- 
tirely without  reproach,  he  had  been  one  of  the 
bravest  and  most  distinguished  officers  of  the  Amer- 
ican ai-my.  But  no  time  could  be  lost  in  feeling,  — 
it  was  necessary  to  act ;  and  since  it  was  too  late  to 
capture  Arnold,  all  efforts  were  turned  to  the  secur- 
ity of  "West  Point.  Lafayette  shared  his  General's 
anxiety,  and  did  not  fail  to  observe  and  admire  his 
kind  and  delicate  attention  to  Mrs.  Arnold,  who  was 
left  alone  in  a  most  unhappy  condition. 

He  was  one  of  the  fourteen  generals  who  tried 
Major  Andre,  and  decided  that  he  must  suffer  death 
by  hanging,  —  the  usual  fate  of  a  spy;  yet  his 
feelings  were  very  much  touched  by  Andre's  situa- 
tion, and  the  cheerful  fortitude  with  which  he  bore 
his  sentence.  General  Washington  would  have  been 
glad  to  have  exchanged  Andre  for  Arnold ;  but  Sir 
Henry  Clinton  would  not  consent  to  such  an  arrange- 
ment, though  he  made  great  efforts  to  save  Andre's 
life. 


CHAPTER    V. 


ACTIVE   OPERATIONS. 


In  October  of  this  year  Lafayette  wrote  a  long 
letter  to  the  Commander-in-chief,  urging  an  immedi- 
ate attack  on  the  city  of  New  York.  He  was  very 
tired  of  reconnoitring  parties,  and  plans  which  came 
to  nothing ;  and  he  felt  that  some  action  was  needed, 
both  for  the  honor  of  America  and  the  credit  of  the 
French  army.  General  "Washington  in  his  heart 
desired  activity  quite  as  much  as  his  young  friend ; 
but  he  did  not  think  the  time  favorable  enough  for 
so  large  a  scheme,  and  he  could  only  recommend  to 
Lafayette  the  patience  which  he  so  constantly  prac- 
tised himself. 

In  November  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux,  a  French 
traveller  who  visited  the  Commander-in-chief  at 
head-quarters,  thus  describes  Lafayette's  appearance  : 
"  TVe  availed  ourselves  of  the  cessation  of  the  rain 


58  LAFAYETTE.  [l781. 

to  accompany  his  Excellency  to  the  camp  of  the 
Marquis.  We  found  all  his  troops  ranged  in  line  of 
battle  on  the  heights  to  the  left,  and  himself  at  their 
head,  expressing  both  by  his  deportment  and  physi- 
ognomy that  he  preferred  seeing  me  there  to  receiv- 
ing me  on  his  estate  in  Auvergne.  The  confidence 
and  attachment  of  his  troops  are  most  precious  in  his 
eyes,  for  he  looks  upon  that  species  of  wealth  as  one 
of  which  he  cannot  be  deprived.  But  what  I  think 
still  more  flattering  to  a  young  man  of  his  age  is 
the  influence  which  he  has  acquired  in  political  as 
well  as  military  circles.  I  have  no  fear  of  being 
contradicted  when  I  assert  that  simple  letters  from 
him  have  often  had  more  influence  in  some  of  the 
States  of  the  Union  than  the  strongest  invitations  on 
the  part  of  Congress." 

In  February,  1781,  Lafayette  was  despatched 
from  head-quarters  to  Portsmouth,  Virginia,  to  oppose 
with  but  a  small  force  the  traitor  Arnold.  The 
French  fleet  which  was  to  assist  him  was  defeated  at 
sea  on  its  way,  and  Lafayette,  having  blockaded 
Portsmouth,  was  retreating  northwards,  when  at 
Head  of  Elk  he  met  despatches  from  General  Wash- 
ington. These  informed  him  that  reinforcements 
were  to  go  from  the  British  head-quarters  to  Arnold, 


AC.K   23. J  LAFAYETTE.  59 

and  that  ho  must  aid  the  Virginians.  Now,  like  all 
American  generals,  Lafayette  found  himself  beset 
by  difficulties.  His  men  were  from  the  New  Eng- 
land State-,  and  were  unwilling  to  be  exposed  to  the 
southern  climate  ;  they  began  to  desert.  Lafayette 
told  them,  in  a  general  order,*  that  he  was  setting  out 
on  a  difficult,  dangerous  enterprise,  and  that  whoever 
wished  to  quit  him  might  obtain  leave  to  do  so  by 
coming  to  head-quarters.  From  that  day  there  were 
no  more  desertions;  the  men  felt  it  an  honor  to  follow 
their  leader,  and  one  sergeant,  who  was  lame  and 
could  not  walk,  hired  a  cart  rather  than  be  left 
behind.  They  were  without  proper  clothes  for  a 
southern  campaign,  and  Lafayette  borrowed  money 
to  buy  linen  for  them,  which  the  ladies  of  Baltimore 
made  into  shirts. 

He  had  not  men  enough  for  fighting  battles.  His 
objects  in  this  campaign  were  to  deceive  and  annoy 
the  enemy,  to  protect  the  military  stores  which 
supplied  the  army  of  General  Greene  in  Carolina, 
and  to  prevent  the  British  from  gaining  any  advantage 
from  their  superior  troops  and  equipments.  He 
immediately  distinguished  himself  by  a  rapid  march 

*  Directions  and  advice  from  a  general,  which  are  read  aloud 
to  the  troops. 

5 


60  LAFAYETTE.  [1781. 

to  Richmond,  the  capital  of  Virginia,  which  greatly 
astonished  the  British  General  Phillips.  This  officer 
died  soon  after,  and  Lafayette  refused  to  receive  a 
letter  from  Arnold,  who  succeeded  him  in  the  com- 
mand. This  spirited  determination  pleased  General 
Washington  and  Congress. 

Perhaps  it  seems  strange  that  the  commanders  of 
hostile  armies  should  have  any  occasion  to  write  to 
each  other ;  but  there  are  always  questions  of  busi- 
ness coming  up ;  sometimes  relating  to  the  treatment 
and  exchange  of  prisoners ;  sometimes  to  the  protec- 
tion of  the  country  people  near  the  camp,  who  are 
always  in  danger  of  being  robbed ;  and  in  various 
ways  generals  can  show  civility  and  respect  for  each 
other.  By  refusing  to  hold  any  communication  with 
General  Arnold,  Lafayette  plainly  showed  that  he 
did  not  think  him  a  proper  person  for  an  American 
officer  to  speak  to. 

Virginia  became  at  this  time  the  principal  scene 
of  war.  General  Greene  was  active  in  the  Carolinas, 
but  was  ill-supplied,  had  been  defeated,  and  could 
only  hope  to  delay  Lord  Cornwallis's  arrival  in 
Virginia.  His  lordship  was  fighting  his  way  up  from 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  to  join  General  Phillips. 

Between    the    Commander-in-chief,    Greene,   and 


AGE   23.]  LAFAYETTE.  Gl 

Lafayette,  there  was  the  most  perfect  agreement 
both  in  wishes  and  actions.  General  Washington 
watched  both  divisions,  and  assisted  both  as  far  as 
he  coidd ;  but  he  could  not  leave  his  station  near  New 
York,  which*was  still  to  be  attacked  whenever  the 
long-expected  French  fleet  should  arrive.  General 
Greene  was  like  Washington,  —  patient,  prudent, 
and  hopeful ;  but  Lafayette  needed  a  double  share  of 
discretion  when  in  May  he  found  himself  opposed  to 
Lord  Comwallis,  the  best  British  general  in  America. 

From  the  Marquis's  youth  and  inexperience, 
Cornwallis  promised  himself  an  easy  victory,  and 
was  confident  enough  to  say,  in  one  of  his  letters, 
"  The  boy  cannot  escape  me."  He  had  one  great 
advantage  in  mounting  his  dragoons  on  the  fine 
Virginia  horses  which  he  found  in  abundance  in  the 
stables  of  the  planters.  Lafayette  says,  in  one  of  his 
letters :  "  There  is  no  fighting  here  unless  you  have 
a  naval  superiority,  or  an  army  mounted  on  race- 
horses ; "  and,  again,  he  speaks  of  the  "  immense  and 
excellent  body  of  horse,  whom  the  militia  fear  as  if 
they  were  so  many  wild  beasts."  He  was,  however, 
joined  by  many  of  the  young  men  of  the  State,  whose 
intelligence  and  high  spirit  were  of  great  use  to  him. 

After  having  gained  possession  of  Richmond,  he 


62  LAFAYETTE.  [l781. 

was  not  strong  enough  to  remain  there,  and  slowly 
retreated  before  Lord  Cornwallis,  hoping  to  be  joined 
by  some  Pennsylvania  troops.  He  never  allowed  the 
two  armies  to  meet  in  such  a  way  that  there  could 
be  an  engagement ;  and  yet  he  moved  as  slowly 
as  possible,  leaving  each  place  just  as  the  British 
advance  guard  entered  it.  He  could  not  continue 
long  on  this  plan ;  for  the  Pennsylvanians  did  not 
come  at  the  time  they  were  expected,  and  there 
were  some  stores  at  Albemarle  Old  Court  House, 
which  it  was  necessary  to  guard.  It  was  supposed 
that  he  must  pass  in  front  of  the  whole  English  army, 
and  so  expose  himself  to  certain  defeat ;  but  he  dis- 
covered an  old  road,  which  had  been  long  unused, 
had  it  mended  by  night,  and  led  his  men  success- 
fully to  the  spot.  Lord  Cornwallis  was  surprised 
to  hear  of  him  established  in  so  strong  a  position. 
He  uoav  turned  towards  Richmond  and  Williamsburg, 
and  Lafayette,  being  joined  by  the  Pennsylvania 
troops,  under  General  Wayne,  and  by  another  re- 
inforcement, under  Baron  Steuben,  ventured  to  follow 
him. 

There  were  constant  skirmishes,  but  nothing  that 
could  be  called  a  regular  attack  until  the  6th  of  July, 
when  the  British  army  was  crossing  James  River, 


AGE    23.]  LAFAYETTE.  G3 

on  the  march  from  Williamsburg  to  Portsmouth. 
Lafayette,  believing  that  the  larger  part  of  the  army 
had  crossed,  ordered  an  attack  upon  what  he  sup- 
posed to  be  a  rear-guard.  Lord  Cornwallis,  intending 
to  deceive  him,  had  sent  forward,  with  great  parade, 
only  a  small  detachment,  and  received  the  Americans 
with  the  main  body  of  his  army.  General  Wayne, 
nick-named  Mad  Anthony,  was  in  command,  and 
when  he  found  out  his  danger  continued  to  advance, 
thinking  it  safer  than  to  retreat.  Lafayette,  with 
fresh  troops,  was  ready  to  follow,  if  he  were  needed ; 
but,  as  he  listened  to  the  heavy  firing,  it  struck  him 
that  there  must  be  more  than  a  rear-guard  engaged, 
—  he  galloped  to  a  place  where  he  could  see  the  ac- 
tion, and  immediately  sent  assistance  to  Wayne,  with 
orders  to  fall  back.  This  was  successfully  done,  and, 
as  it  was  growing  dark,  Lord  Cornwallis  did  not  pur- 
sue him.  The  violent  beginning  and  sudden  end  of 
the  attack  made  him  suspect  a  snare. 

This  was  a  severe  conflict.  "  Our  field  officers," 
says  General  Wayne,  "  were  generally  dismounted 
by  having  their  horses  killed  or  wounded  under 
them.  I  will  not  condole  with  the  Marquis  for  the 
loss  of  two  of  his,  as  he  was  frequently  requested  to 
keep  at  a  greater  distance.  His  natural  bravery 
rendered  him  deaf  to  admonition." 


64  •  LAFAYETTE.  [l781. 

A  few  days  later,  the  British  proceeded  to  Ports- 
mouth, which  they  considered  a  very  advantageous 
place,  on  account  of  the  communication  with  New 
York.  Lafayette  had  been  hoping  that  they  would 
go  to  the  sea-coast,  as  he  thought  it  would  then  be 
much  easier  for  him  to  watch  them  on  land,  and 
believed  that  a  French  fleet  would  surely  come,  in 
the  course  of  the  season,  to  blockade  them  by  sea. 
He  wrote  to  General  Washington,  saying  that  he  was 
glad  of  this  arrangement ;  and  about  the  same  time 
the  enemy  got  possession  of  a  letter  to  him  from  the 
Commander-in-chief  hi  which  he  spoke  of  his  plans 
for  an  attack  upon  New  York,  and  gave  the  Marquis 
permission  to  return  to  head-quarters  and  take  part 
in  it.  This  letter  made  the  British  feel  very  easy  in 
Virginia,  and  consider  New  York  alone  as  the  place 
to  be  protected. 

The  active  campaign  of  the  last  four  months  was 
now  exchanged  for  a  steady  watching  of  the  enemy 
at  Portsmouth,  and  constant  communication  with 
head-quarters.  On  the  20th  of  July,  Lafayette  wrote: 
"  I  am  entirely  a  stranger  to  everything  that  passes 
out  of  Virginia,  and  Virginian  operations  being  for 
the  present  in  a  state  of  languor,  I  have  more  time 
to  think  of  my  solitude ;  in  a  word,  my  dear  General, 


AGE    23.]  LAFAYETTE.  05 

I  am  homesick,  and  if  I  cannot  go  to  head-quarters, 
wish  at  least  to  hear  from  thence.  I  am  anxious 
to  know  your  opinion  of  the  Virginian  campaign. 

So  long  as  my  lord  wished  for  an  action, 

not  one  gun  has  been  fired ;  the  moment  he  declined 
it,  we  have  been  skirmishing ;  but  I  took  care  never 
to  commit  the  army."  And  to  Colonel  Hamilton  he 
wrote,  "  Independence  has  rendered  me  the  more 
cautious,  as  I  know  my  own  warmth." 

At  the  end  of  July  he  saw  the  greatest  part  of 
Cornwalhs's  army  at  Portsmouth  embark  on  board 
vessels  which  did  not  immediately  sail.  He  supposed 
they  must  be  going  to  New  York,  but  in  less  than 
three  weeks  found  out  they  were  removed  to  York- 
town  and  Gloucester  Point,  where  they  began  to  fort- 
ify. In  the  mean  time  he  had  heard  from  General 
Washington  that  the  French  fleet  would  arrive  in 
Chesapeake  Bay,  instead  of  New  York  Harbor. 
The  attack  on  New  York  was  given  up,  and  Vir- 
ginia was  to  be  the  scene  of  action.  Lafayette  no 
longer  regretted  that  he  had  been  sent  away  from 
head-quarters.  He  followed  Lord  Comwallis  and 
took  measures  to  shut  him  in  completely,  while  the 
British  General  felt  so  secure  within  his  fortifi- 
cations, and  with  only  Lafayette  for  an  opponent, 


66  LArATETTE.  :--;. 

that  he  offered  to  send  some  of  bis  men  to  New 
York. 

Lafayette  wrote  to  his  wife,  when  matters  were 
thns  far  advanced :  *  It  was  not  prudent  in  the 
General  to  confide  to  me  such  a  command.  If  I 
had  been  unfortunate,  the  public  would  hare  called 
that  partiality  an  error  of  judgment-"  But  he  had 
already  proved  that  the  Commander-in-chief  had 
judged  wisely  of  the  capacity  of  his  young  general. 

About  this  time  Lafayette  warned  a  spy  to  sand 
into  the  British  camp,  and  a  New  Jersey  soldier 
named  Morgan  was  pointed  out  to  him  as  a  fit 
person  to  be  employed.  It  is  not  an  easy  thing  to 
find  a  spy :  a  man  must  be  trustworthy  and  faithful 
to  his  own  officer,  and  ret  willing  to  deceive  the 
enemy;  be  must  be  obserring.  and  yet  must  not 
appear  to  be  getting  information.  Morgan  was 
unwilling  to  put  himself  in  such  a  position,  but  at 
last  consented,  on  condition  that,  if  be  should  be 
kjDed,  the  General  would  have  a  full  account  of  the 
case  printed  in  the  New  Jersey  newspapers,  so  that 
no  reproach  might  fall  upon  his  honor.  He  went  to 
the  British  camp  and  faithfully  obeyed  orders.  After 
several  weeks  had  passed,  thinking  he  could  no 
longer  be  useful,  be  came  back,  and  brought  with 


AGE    23.]  LAFAYETTE.  C7 

him  five  deserters  and  a  prisoner.  The  next  day 
the  General,  to  reward  him,  offered  to  make  him  a 
sergeant.  Morgan  thanked  him,  but  declined,  say- 
ing that  he  thought  himself  a  good  soldier,  but  was 
not  certain  of  being  a  good  sergeant.  He  likewise 
refused  other  offers.  "  What  can  I,  then,  do  for 
you  ?  "  inquired  Lafayette.  "  I  have  only  one  favor 
to  ask/'  replied  Morgan.  "  During  my  absence  my 
gun  has  been  taken  from  me ;  I  value  it  very  much, 
and  I  should  like  to  have  it  back  again."  Orders 
were  given  that  the  gun  should  be  found,  and  it  was 
his  only  reward  for  this  difficult,  dangerous  service. 

On  the  1st  of  September  the  French  fleet,  under 
Count  de  Grasse,  arrived.  The  Marquis  de  Saint 
Simon  immediately  landed  with  three  thousand  sol- 
diers. Lafayette  added  his  force  to  theirs,  and  took 
up  a  strong  position  at  Williamsburg.  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  marched  out,  intending  to  make  an  attack ;  but 
finding  them  so  strong,  contented  himself  with  im- 
proving his  fortifications  at  Yorktown.  In  an  en- 
gagement at  sea  between  the  French  fleet  and  the 
British  under  Admiral  Graves,  Count  de  Grasse 
was  victorious,  and  Lord  Cornwallis's  confidence 
began  to  waver  a  little  as  he  saw  himself  blockaded 
on  both  sides. 


68  LAFAYETTE.  [l781. 

Lafayette  was  now  exposed  to  a  great  temptation, 
or  what  might  have  been  a  great  temptation  to  a 
more  selfish  man.  The  French  admiral  and  the 
Marquis  de  Saint  Simon  strongly  urged  him  to 
make  an  assault  upon  Yorktown.  They  said  that  he 
had  had  the  danger,  fatigue,  and  anxiety  of  the 
campaign,  and  that  it  was  but  fair  that  he  should 
have  the  honor  of  receiving  Lord  Cornwallis's  sur- 
render. But  Lafayette  would  not  listen  to  any  such 
proposals.  He  told  them  that  General  Washington 
and  Count  Rochambeau  were  already  on  their  way, 
and  that  the  combined  forces  would  make  so  large 
an  ai'my  that  Lord  Cornwallis  would  surely  yield  to 
a  regular  siege,  and  in  that  way  many  lives  would 
be  spared  which  must  be  lost  in  a  violent  attack 
made  by  his  present  force. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SUCCESS  THE  REWARD   OF  PATIENCE. 

The  Commander-in-chief  and  Rocharnbeau  arrived 
on  the  14th  of  September,  and  Lafayette  saw  one  of 
his  cherished  wishes  fulfilled  when  General  Wash- 
ington was  at  the  head  of  the  united  army  of  French 
and  Americans.  Even  after  their  arrival,  however, 
the  whole  scheme  was  put  in  peril  for  a  day  by  the 
French  admiral's  declaring  that  it  was  not  prudent 
for  him  to  remain  at  Yorktown,  and  that  he  must  put 
out  to  sea  to  meet  and  fight  with  some  new  British 
men-of-war  which  had  just  arrived  at  New  York. 
Lafayette,  at  General  "Washington's  request,  went 
on  board  the  admiral's  ship,  and  with  considerable 
difficulty  persuaded  him  to  wait  until  the  siege  of 
Yorktown  should  be  ended.  Then  the  works  went 
on;  the  Americans  gradually  surrounded  the  town 
with  earth-works,  redoubts,  and  trenches,  and  all  the 


70  LAFAYETTE.  [l781. 

regular  means  of  besieging  a  city,  while  Lord  Corn- 
wallis  continued  to  strengthen  his  fortifications. 

On  the  11th  of  October  the  siege  was  begun  by- 
General  Washington's  firing  the  first  gun.  For 
several  days  a  steady  firing  was  kept  up  on  both 
sides ;  cannon-balls  were  constantly  crossing  each 
other  in  the  air,  and  at  night  red-hot  shot  glared  out 
of  the  darkness.  One  English  ship  and  some  smaller 
vessels  were  set  on  fire  by  them,  and  as  the  flames 
ran  up  to  the  top  of  the  masts,  the  sight  was  at  once 
splendid  and  horrible.  The  noise  of  the  large  guns, 
and  of  the  shells  bursting  and  tearing  up  the  ground 
all  about  them,  was  perpetual,  and  added  not  a  little 
to  the  dreadful  effect  of  the  scene. 

On  the  14th  it  was  decided  to  take  by  storm  two 
redoubts,  the  only  defences  outside  the  city  which  the 
enemy  still  held.  One  was  to  be  attacked  by  the 
French  under  the  Baron  de  Viomenil,  the  other  by 
the  Americans  under  Lafayette.  The  Baron  had 
said  once,  in  conversation,  that  in  an  attack  of  this 
sort  he  thought  the  French  superior  to  the  Ameri- 
cans. Lafayette  answered,  "We  are  but  young 
soldiers,  and  we  have  but  one  sort  of  tactic  on  such 
occasions,  which  is  to  discharge  our  muskets  and 
push  on  straight  with  our  bayonets."     In  making  his 


AGE   24.]  LAFAYETTE.  71 

attack,  Lafayette  carried  out  this  plan  exactly ;  he 
thought  that  only  such  an  impetuous  assault  would 
enable  his  inexperienced  troops  to  overcome  the 
well-trained  British  soldiers  waiting  within  their 
fortifications.  In  a  very  few  minutes  he  took  the 
redoubt,  and,  as  he  still  heard  firing  from  the  other, 
he  sent  his  aide  to  the  Baron,  to  inquire  if  he  should 
give  him  any  assistance,  and  to  say  that  he  had  won 
his  prize.  Viomenil  answered,  "  Tell  the  Marquis 
that  I  am  not  yet  master  of  my  redoubt,  but  that  I 
shall  be  in  less  than  five  minutes."  And  in  less  than 
that  time  he  entered  it  with  his  men,  in  perfect  order. 
He  had  followed  strict  military  rule,  and  had  had  the 
way  cleared  for  him  before  his  onset ;  but  while  he 
was  waiting  his  troops  were  exposed  to  a  terrible 
fire  from  the  enemy.  Colonel  Barber,  the  aide  who 
carried  Lafayette's  message,  had  received  a  wound, 
but  would  not  allow  it  to  be  dressed  until  lie  had 
executed  his  commission.  Perhaps  he  had  a  little 
pride  in  showing  the  French  officers  how  indiffer- 
ent to  pain  an  American  could  be. 

After  the  taking  of  these  redoubts,  Lord  Corn- 
wallis's  position  became  still  more  hopeless ;  the 
cannon  continued  to  destroy  his  works,  he  could  do 
but  little  to  injure  the  French  and  Americans,  and 


72  LAFAYETTE.  [l781. 

bad  weather  prevented  an  escape  in  boats  to  Glouces- 
ter, which  he  had  planned.  On  the  17th  he  requested 
an  interview  with  an  American  officer,  that'the  terms 
of  surrender  might  be  agreed  upon,  and  on  the  19th 
his  army  laid  down  their  arms. 

The  French  and  American  troops  were  drawn  up 
in  long  lines,  and  were  quiet  and  orderly  as  the 
conquered  army  passed  between  them;  but  their 
secret  triumph  and  rejoicing  must  have  been  great 
as  they  saw  how  full  the  ranks  were,  and  felt  how 
important  a  victory  they  had  won.  Every  one  was 
eager  to  see  Lord  Cornwallis,  but  this  distinguished 
general  did  not  make  his  appearance;  General 
O'Hara  took  his  place. 

Count  Rochambeau,  General  Washington,  and 
Lafayette  sent  their  aides  to  offer  their  compliments 
to  Lord  Cornwallis ;  who  sent  a  message  to  tell  the 
Marquis  that,  after  having  made  this  long  campaign 
against  him,  he  wished  to  give  him  a  private  account 
of  the  reasons  which  had  led  him  to  surrender. 
The  next  day  Lafayette  went  to  see  him.  "  I 
know,"  said  the  English  general,  "  your  humanity  to 
prisoners,  and  I  recommend  my  poor  army  to  you." 
Lafayette  replied,  "  You  know,  my  lord,  the  Ameri- 
cans have  always  been  humane  towards  imprisoned 


AGE   24.]  LAFAYETTE.  73 

armies.  He  would  not  accept  even  a  compliment 
which  seemed  to  separate  him  from  his  adopted 
countrymen.  The  other  generals  also  visited  Lord 
Cornwallis,  and  every  civility  which  could  make  his 
mortifying  position  more  endurable  was  shown  to 
him. 

The  Americans  knew  that  they  had  gained  a  great 
advantage  in  taking  this  army ;  but  they  were  very 
desirous  of  closing  the  campaign  by  the  recapture 
of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  which  had  been  hi 
the  possession  of  the  enemy  since  May,  1780.  Gen- 
eral Greene  had  had  a  very  hard  summer,  opposed 
to  Lord  Eawdon  from  the  time  that  Cornwallis  had 
come  into  Virginia.  It  seemed  easy  now  to  give 
him  assistance,  when  the  fleet  was  ready,  and  the 
land  forces  so  far  on  their  way  to  the  south.  Lafay- 
ette would  again  have  commanded  the  expedition, 
and  would  have  been  glad  to  undertake  it  with  a 
small  army  which  might  easily  have  been  transported 
in  a  few  vessels ;  but  the  French  admiral  declared 
that  it  was  his  duty  to  return  immediately  to  the 
West  Indies.  It  is  said  that  when  Lord  Cornwallis 
saw  Lafayette  returning  from  his  last  visit  to  the 
admiral's  ship,  he  said  to  some  officers  who  were  with 
him,  "  I  lay  a  wager  he  has  been  making  arrange- 


74  LAFAYETTE.  [l781. 

ments  to  ruin  us  at  Charleston."  This  remark  shows 
that  he  understood  Lafayette's  disposition  and  talents. 
There  is  every  reason  to  suppose  that  such  a  scheme 
would  have  succeeded.  As  it  was  not  undertaken, 
the  campaign  came  to  an  end,  and  the  army  went 
into  winter-quarters. 

During  all  the  time  that  the  French  and  American 
armies  were  together,  the  most  perfect  friendliness 
prevailed  between  them.  The  French  officers  ad- 
mired "Washington  Avith  the  ardor  that  belongs  to 
their  nation,  and  only  laughed  at  the  hardships  they 
had  to  bear.  And  doubtless  their  example  influenced 
the  common  soldiers.  On  their  part,  all  Americans 
felt  themselves  under  great  obligations  to  those  who 
had  come  so  far  to  fight  for  them.  Lafayette  men- 
tions, as  a  proof  of  good  feeling,  that  when  the 
French  troops  under  the  Marquis  de  Saint  Simon 
joined  his,  he  ordered  them  to  be  supplied  with  flour 
enough  to  last  three  days  before  the  Americans 
received  any.  The  latter  were  obliged  to  live  chiefly 
on  Indian  meal,  but  were  quite  satisfied.  He  also 
gave  horses  to  the  French  hussars,  while  the  Amer- 
ican officers  had  none,  yet  he  never  heard  a  com- 
plaint. Perhaps  nothing  shows  more  clearly  that  he 
felt  as  an  American  than  his  thus  treating  his  own 


AGE    24.]  LAFAYETTE.  75 

countrymen  as  guests.  He  had  taken  the  precaution 
before  they  left  France  to  have  it  settled  that  they 
were  always  to  be  considered  as  auxiliaries,*  and 
that  French  officers  were  always  to  be  under  the 
orders  of  Americans  of  equal  rank. 

In  November  of  this  year,  Lafayette  again  asked 
leave  to  return  to  France,  and,  with  the  most  cordial 
thanks  from  Congress,  and  the  respect  and  gratitude 
of  every  patriot,  he  once  more  set  sail  from  Boston. 
He  carried  with  him  the  consciousness  that  his 
services  to  this  country  had  been  great  and  highly 
valued  here.  His  friendship  for  General  Washing- 
ton was  one  of  the  delights  of  his  life,  and  he  felt 
sure  that  the  United  States  would  always  hold  a 
place  in  his  affections  second  only  to  France. 

No  mutiny  this  time  disturbed  his  voyage.  He 
found  all  things  prosperous  in  his  family,  and  he 
had  gained  a  military  reputation  which  made  him 
still  more  admired  than  before. 

He  was  commissioned  by  Congress  to  make 
arrangements  for  them  in  Europe,  and  the  next  year 
was  chiefly  occupied  with  preparations  for  a  com- 
bined expedition  from  France  and  Spain,  which  now 

*  Those  who  give  assistance,  but  never  take  the  lead. 
6 


76  LAFAYETTE.  [l782. 

joined  in  the  war  against  England.  The  fleet  of 
sixty  vessels  was  to  be  commanded  by  Count  d'Es- 
taing;  the  army  of  twenty -four  thousand  men,  by 
Lafayette.  The  plan  was  to  sail  from  Cadiz  for  the 
island  of  Jamaica,  then  to  proceed  to  New  York, 
and  after  taking  that  city  to  go  on  to  Canada. 
There  were  so  many  delays  in  getting  together  this 
grand  army,  and  arranging  all  the  points  of  the 
agreement  between  the  nations,  that  Lafayette  was 
still  at  Madrid  when  he  heard  the  news  of  the  Peace 
of  Paris,  which  put  an  end  to  our  Revolutionary 
war.  It  was  signed  in  January,  1783,  and  he  was 
the  first  to  inform  Congress  of  this  joyful  event. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


FRANCE  AS  IT   WAS. 


In  the  next  year,  1784,  Lafayette  allowed  himself 
the  pleasure  of  a  visit  to  the  United  States.  He 
arrived  at  New  York  in  August,  went  to  the  south 
as  far  as  Yorktown  and  Richmond,  and  paid  to  Gen- 
eral Washington  at  Mount  Vernon  that  visit  so  often 
anticipated  in  their  letters  written  by  camp-fires  and 
amid  the  hardships  of  war.  He  was  present  at  the 
making  of  a  treaty  with  the  Indians  of  the  Sis 
Nations,  some  of  whose  chiefs  called  him  by  his  old 
name  of  Kayewla,  which  they  gave  him  in  1778. 
He  also  went  through  the  Eastern  States,  and  was 
everywhere,  as  Washington  wrote  to  Madame  de  La- 
fayette, "  crowned  with  wreaths  of  love  and  respect." 

He  was  particularly  interested  in  seeing  the  old 
soldiers  of  the  army,  and  often  touched  by  finding 
the  children  of  those  who  had  fallen  making  part  of 


78  LAFAYETTE.  [l784. 

the  processions  in  his  honor.  Every  one  was  eager 
to  see  him,  either  from  gratitude  or  curiosity,  and  his 
reception  was  cordial  and  affectionate. 

At  the  end  of  November  he  was  again  at  Mount 
Vernon,  and  after  their  parting  General  Washington 
wrote  this  note,  so  expressive  of  his  affection :  "  At 
the  moment  of  our  separation,  upon  the  road  as  I 
travelled  and  every  hour  since,  I  have  felt  all  that 
love,  respect,  and  attachment  for  you,  with  which 
length  of  years,  close  connection,  and  your  merits 
have  inspired  me.  I  often  asked  myself,  as  our 
carriages  separated,  whether  that  was  the  last  sight 
I  should  ever  have  of  you.  And  though  I  wished 
to  answer  no,  my  fears  answered  yes." 

Lafayette  would  not  admit  this  idea;  though  he 
saw  that  his  beloved  friend  was  never  likely  to  cross 
the  water,  he  promised  himself  the  happiness  of 
several  visits  at  Mount  Vernon.  He  could  not  fore- 
see the  political  stomis  that  were  to  sweep  over  his 
life,  and  he  cared  little  for  those  he  must  meet  on  the 
Atlantic  Ocean. 

After  a  great  public  entertainment  at  Boston,  he 
embarked  on  board  a  French  frigate,  and  had  a 
prosperous  voyage,  bearing  home  with  him  many 
bright  recollections  of  warm  friends  and  happy  hours 


AGE    27.]  LAFAYETTE.  79 

in  the   United    States,  and   strong   hopes   for   their 
futm*e  prosperity. 

He  did  not  find  France  in  an  equally  promising 
condition. 

The  following  year,  1785,  Lafayette  undertook 
a  shorter  journey  into  Austria  and  Russia,  Though 
republicans  were  not  much  admired  in  those  coun- 
tries, Lafayette's  distinguished  family  connections, 
and  his  reputation  as  a  young  general,  gained  for 
him  a  polite  reception.  In  Prussia,  he  went  to  all 
the  military  reviews  in  company  with  the  king, 
Frederic  the  Great,  at  that  time  the  most  distin- 
guished soldier  in  all  Europe. 

After  his  return  to  France,  he  gave  much  time 
and  attention  to  a  scheme  in  which  his  benevolence 
interested  him.  He  bought  a  plantation  at  Cayenne, 
in  French  Guiana,  and  sent  out  an  excellent  superin- 
tendent, to  teach  the  slaves  and  to  prepare  them 
gradually  for  freedom.  He  had  been  particularly 
pleased  with  a  school  for  free-negro  children,  which 
he  had  seen  at  New  York,  and  wished  at  least  to 
try  the  experiment  of  training  the  blacks.  Difference 
of  color  could  not  check  his  enthusiastic  love  of 
liberty.  He  honestly  desired  that  all  men,  not 
merely  himself  and  his  countrymen,  should  be  free ; 


80  LAFAYETTE.  [l785. 

but  lie  had  the  common  sense  to  see  that  some  races 
of  men  require  preparation  even  for  freedom,  and 
that  a  slave,  who  has  all  his  life  been  fed  and  clothed 
by  a  master,  does  not  know  how  to  provide  for  him- 
self in  his  old  age. 

"We  now  come  to  a  great  change  in  Lafayette's 
life.  We  have  seen  him  fighting  for  freedom,  and 
interested  in  military  affairs ;  —  the  love  of  liberty, 
from  this  time  forth,  led  him  to  a  different  work,  —  to 
an  endeavor  to  reform  the  government  of  his  country. 
Other  men's  minds  were  full  of  the  same  idea,  and 
there  was  a  general  feeling  in  Paris,  and  throughout 
France,  that  the  hour  was  come  for  a  great  change. 

It  is  difficult  to  explain  to  those  who  have  lived 
only  in  the  United  States  how  bad  the  French  gov- 
ernment was,  and  had  been  for  several  hundred 
years.  But  one  great  evil,  which  caused  many 
others,  was,  that  the  kings  and  the  nobles  had  long 
believed  that  government  was  made  for  their  pleas- 
ure and  glory,  not  for  the  happiness  and  welfare  of 
the  common  people.  They  did  not  know  that  a  few 
hundred  noblemen  were  but  of  small  imjiortance, 
compared  with  the  hundreds  of  thousands  who  toiled 
for  their  daily  bread  in   France ;  on  the  contrary, 


AGE    29.]  LAFAYETTE.  81 

they  thought  that  the  poor  were  created  to  work 
for  them.  The  consequence  was,  that  acts  of 
cruelty  to  the  low-bom  were  looked  upon  with  per- 
fect indifference  by  the  great  lords.  You  must  not 
suppose  that  there  were  not  kind-hearted  people 
among  them ;  then,  as  now,  there  lived  in  the  world 
those  who  delighted  to  make  all  about  them  happy, 
including  the  peasants ;  but,  as  a  general  rule,  their 
lives  were  full  of  other  occupations.  Many  of  them 
were  soldiers,  and  when  they  were  not  actually  en- 
gaged in  war  made  plans  for  new  campaigns,  or 
else  amused  themselves  with  hunting  or  other  sports, 
never  giving  any  time  to  thinking  how  the  poor 
people  around  them  lived. 

The  king  and  the  royal  family,  including  even  his 
distant  cousins,  must  have  palaces  to  live  in;  ser^ 
vants,  horses  and  carriages,  and  money  to  spend, 
provided  for  them  out  of  the  public  wealth ;  all  the 
priests  were  to  be  maintained ;  and  in  times  alike  of 
war  and  of  peace,  there  was  a  great  army  to  be  fed 
and  clothed.  Thus  several  thousands  of  idle  people 
were  supported  by  the  industrious ;  and  all  these  ways 
of  pouring  out  money  consumed  it  much  faster  than 
the  sale  of  the  farmer's  corn,  or  the  weaver's  cloth, 
or  the  vine-grower's  wine,  supplied  it. 


82  LAFAYETTE.  [l787- 

But  there  was  no  less  expense  at  the  court  because 
the  nation  was  growing  poorer.  The  ministers  had 
not  the  courage  to  tell  a  King  of  France  that  he 
could  not  have  anything  he  desired ;  and  so  he  and 
all  those  who  lived  at  court  went  on  spending  money 
for  trifles,  while  the  peasant  and  the  shop-keeper 
were  pressed  harder  and  harder  with  taxes  to  pay 
upon  everything  they  ate  or  drank,  or  bought  or 
sold.  A  tax  upon  salt,  which  is  so  constantly  in  use, 
caused  great  distress.  Any  person  could  be  licensed 
to  sell  salt,  if  he  would  pay  a  large  sum  to  the  gov- 
ernment. Of  course,  then,  the  seller  asked  the  high- 
est possible  price  for  it,  because  he  wanted  to  secure 
his  own  profit  in  addition  to  what  he  had  to  pay  over 
to  the  government.  Thus  hard  men  were  more 
likely  to  undertake  the  business  than  any  others, 
because  asking  such  high  prices  made  them  very 
much  disliked.  France  was  divided  into  districts, 
in  some  of  which  the  people  were  compelled  to  buy 
a  certain  quantity  of  salt  every  year ;  in  others,  they 
did  as  they  chose.  This  made  one  hardship  the 
more ;  for  a  poor  man  who  lived  in  one  district 
might  be  ruined  by  being  forced  to  buy  a  great 
quantity,  while  his  near  neighbor  was  perhaps  free 
from  any  restraint  in  the  matter. 


AGE    29.]  LAFAYETTE.  83 

And  this  is  only  a  sample  of  the  way  taxes  "were 
paid  for  everything.  This  salt-tax  —  the  gabelle,  as 
it  was  called  —  was  much  talked  about,  and  was  very 
irritating  to  the  poor  people ;  but  the  real  suffering 
was  owing  to  the  great  number  of  taxes. 

An  English  traveller,  passing  through  France  at 
this  time,  says  of  what  he  saw  in  one  day's  journey, 
''  The  fields  are  scenes  of  pitiable  management,  as 
the  houses  are  of  misery ; "  and  again,  "  All  the 
country  girls  and  women  are  without  shoes  or  stock- 
ings, and  the  ploughmen  at  their  work  have  neither 
sabots  *  nOr  feet  to  their  stockings." 

And,  two  years  later,  the  same  traveller,  in  walking 
up  a  hill,  chanced  to  overtake  a  poor  woman,  who 
seemed  unhappy,  and  complained  of  the  times. 
When  he  asked  questions,  she  told  him  that  she  was 
married  and  had  seven  children ;  that  her  husband 
had  but  a  small  bit  of  ground,  a  little  horse,  and  a 
cow,  yet  they  had  to  pay  42  pounds  of  wheat  and 
three  chickens  to  one  great  lord,  and  168  pounds  of 
oats,  one  chicken,  and  one  franc  to  another,  besides 
several  very  heavy  taxes.  She  said  she  hoped 
something  would  be  done  for  poor  people,  for  the 

*  Wooden  shoes. 


84  LAFAYETTE.  [l787. 

taxes  were  crushing  them.  She  was  twenty-six 
years  old,  but  her  figure  was  so  bent,  and  her  face  so 
wrinkled,  that  she  might  have  been  taken  for  sixty. 
And  she  was  only  a  specimen  of  the  women  that 
were  to  be  seen  almost  everywhere  in  France.  It 
was  not  uncommon  for  the  poor  people  to  gather 
nettles  to  make  soup  of. 

When  a  nobleman  heard  of  some  unfortunate 
wretch  dying  .of  hunger,  no  doubt  he  might  feel 
sorry  for  a  few  minutes ;  but  he  was  not  apt  to  think 
what  could  be  the  reason,  or  if  he  himself  could  do 
anything  to  remedy  it.  And  here  was  a  point  in 
which  Lafayette  was  quite  different  from  other  peo- 
ple of  his  own  rank  and  age.  He  did  think  about 
the  condition  of  working-people,  and  longed  to 
make  them  happier  and  better ;  he  believed  freedom 
would  do  that. 

Such  a  state  of  things  could  not  last  forever; 
when  people  are  perfectly  miserable,  they  grow 
restless  and  fierce.  This  was  the  case  in  France. 
A  great  many  people  in  a  middle  condition  of  life, 
neither  very  rich  nor  very  poor,  were  fired  with  ideas 
of  liberty  and  equality  ;  they  began  to  ask  why  dukes 
and  counts  were  better  than  themselves,  and  why 
some  lives  were   passed  in  ease  and  luxury,  and 


AGE   29.]  LAFAYETTE.  85 

others  in  toil  and  want  and  pain.  There  can  be  no 
doubt,  too,  that  the  accounts  of  the  United  States 
brought  home  by  the  soldiers  and  officers  who  had 
served  there  helped  to  keep  up  the  excitement. 
'It  had  been  proved  there  that  contentment  and 
prosperity  could  be  found  without  a  king,  without 
a  court,  without  an  order  of  priests,  and,  above  all, 
without  so  many  taxes. 

At  this  time  (1787)  Louis  the  Sixteenth,  who  was 
the  king  of  France,  was  a  just  and  humane  man,  who 
would  have  been  very  glad  to  do  whatever  he  could 
to  make  his  subjects  happier ;  but  he  did  not  know 
how  or  where  to  begin. 

One  thing  was  certain,  —  that  the  government 
needed  money ;  and  in  order  to  raise  it,  the  king's 
ministers  advised  him  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  No- 
tables of  France.  These  were  the  princes,  brothers 
or  cousins  of  the  king ;  some  dukes  and  counts, 
marshals  of  France,  and  other  military  officers ; 
several  bishops  and  magistrates.  They  met  in 
February,  1787,  and  began  to  consider  what  could 
be  done  about  the  national  debt  and  taxes.  A  hun- 
dred and  sixty  years  had  passed  since  they  were 
last  called  together,  and  all  the  old  rules  of  business 
were  forgotten. 


86  LAFAYETTE.  [l787. 

Lafayette  took  his  place  among  the  nobles,  and 
spent  much  time  upon  a  plan  for  reducing  the  debt 
and  expenses.  He  also  brought  forward  several 
proposals  for  limiting  the  king's  power.  One  of 
these  was,  that  he  should  no  longer  have  the  right 
to  send  a  person  who  had  displeased  him  to  prison 
without  any  accusation,  and  without  any  trial  or 
chance  to  defend  himself.  Such  a  prisoner  had  no 
hope  of  release  except  from  the  king's  mercy,  and 
might  die  in  his  cell,  forgotten.  Another  proposal 
was  to  grant  greater  liberty  to  Protestants,  who  were 
in  many  ways  kept  in  a  position  very  inferior  to 
that  of  the  Catholics. 

Finding  that  the  Notables  were  not  doing  much 
work,  Lafayette  suggested  that  the  king  should  be 
asked  to  summon  a  National  Assembly.  "  What ! " 
said  the  Count  d'Artois,  the  king's  brother,  "  do  you 
make  a  motion  for  the  States-General  ?  "  "  Yes,  and 
even  more  than  that,"  was  his  answer. 


CHAPTER    VIII 


CHANGES. 


The  States-General  were  composed  of  representa- 
tives from  the  nobles,  the  clergy,  and  the  third  estate, 
or  common  people  of  France.  They  had  not  met 
for  a  hundred  and  seventy-five  years,  and  had  in 
former  times  been  most  submissive  to  the  kings ;  but 
there  -was  little  hope,  of  making  any  change  without 
them,  and  they  only  had  the  right  to  alter  the  gov- 
ernment. 

They  met  on  the  4th  of  May,  1789,  in  a  hall  at 
Versailles  which  the  king  had  prepared  for  them, 
and  where  he  came  with  the  queen  to  receive  them. 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  now  the  excitement  which 
there  was  then  in  Paris  and  throughout  all  the  large 
towns  of  France.  The  kingdom  was  poorer  than  it 
had  been  the  year  before,  —  everything  was  dear, 
complaints   were  loud.     Men  left  their  offices   and 


88  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

their  workshops  to  make  speeches  and  to  become 
national  deputies;*  the  newspapers  were  full  of 
articles  on  liberty  and  the  rights  of  man;  new 
pamphlets  were  printed  every  day,  and  eagerly  read 
by  a  few  of  those  who  were  suffering  under  real 
wrongs,  and  by  all  the  foolish  people  who  fancied 
they  should  be  the  happier  for  being  as  idle  as  the 
counts  and  marquises  they  pretended  to  despise. 
Every  one,  except  the  court  and  those  who  were 
satisfied  with  the  kingdom  as  it  was,  looked  forward 
with  hope  to  the  meeting  of  the  States-General,  not 
knowing  what  would  befall  them,  but  trusting  to 
secure  freedom  and  many  other  good  things.  Politics 
were  the  one  thing  everybody  cared  for,  not  only  in 
Paris,  but  in  all  the  towns  of  France.  A  stranger 
in  the  city  writes :  "  I  went  to  the  Palais  Royal  f  to 
see  what  new  things  were  published.  Every  hour 
produces  something  new.  Thirteen  pamphlets  came 
out  to-day,  sixteen  yesterday,  and  ninety-two  last 
week Nineteen  twentieths  of  these  produc- 
tions are  in  favor  of  liberty,  and  commonly  violent 
against  the  clergy  and  nobility."  The  coffee-houses 
were  always  open,  and  orators  declaimed  in  the  most 

*  Members  of  the  States-General,  or  National  Assembly, 
t  An  old  palace,  now  used  in  part  for  shops. 


AGE    31.]  LAFAYETTE.  89 

vehement  manner  to  an  excited  crowd,  who  loudly 
applauded  anything  particularly  fierce  and  harsh. 

The  king  and  his  ministers  were  troubled  and  did 
not  know  what  to  do.  They  felt  that  something 
would  have  to  be  yielded  to  this  extraordinary 
passion  for  liberty  which  had  got  possession  of  some 
of  the  nobles  and  common  people,  —  they  did  not  at 
all  understand  the  power  of  the  mob,  and  they  were 
obliged  to  admit  that  their  schemes  had  not  made  the 
debt  any  less.  The  king's  natural  desire  to  secure 
himself  led  him  to  coUect  a  great  many  soldiers  in  and 
about  Paris,  and  so  many  more  mouths  to  be  filled  in- 
creased the  scarcity  of  flour.  He  thought  the  troops 
would  be  faithful  to  him,  but  experience  proved  that 
the  new  ideas  of  liberty  and  equality  had  made  their 
way  into  the  army. 

After  much  trouble  in  getting  ready  to  work, 
the  twelve  hundred  National  Deputies  (three  hun- 
dred nobles,  three  hundred  of  the  clergy,  and  six 
hundred  of  the  common  people)  began  their  task ; 
which  was,  to  give  France  a  new  government.  They 
first  destroyed  many  of  the  bad  laws  which  had  come 
down  from  old  times ;  they  took  away  power  from 
the  king  and  nobles,  and  forbade  many  of  the  privi- 
leges of  the  rich  and  great  which  had  caused  suffer- 


90  LAFAYETTE.  [l7S9. 

ing  among  the  poor.  But  this  was  not  all.  A 
kingdom  cannot  exist  without  laws ;  and  while  the 
Assembly  was  talking*  and  listening  to  speeches, 
people  who  had  been  kept  down  by  fear  of  the  laws 
might  do  a  vast  deal  of  mischief.  The  Deputies  had 
no  hesitation  in  saying  that  certain  punishments 
should  never  be  repeated  in  France  ;  but  then  there 
was  a  long  pause  before  they  could  make  up  their 
minds  what  should  take  their  place.  They  found 
building  up  a  slower  work  than  pulling  down.  It 
was  easier  to  make  speeches,  and  set  the  nation  in 
order  by  adding  up  figures  and  writing  papers,  than 
to  supply  food  for  a  hungry  mob,  or  teach  the 
peasants  not  to  revenge  themselves  on  their  former 
masters. 

The  French  are  so  easily  stirred  up  that  merely 
reading  the  reports  of  what  was  done  each  day  in 
the  Assembly  added  to  the  excitement  of  distant 
towns  and  villages,  and  it  must  be  remembered  that 
while  their  minds  were  thus  filled  with  hopes  and 
expectations,  their  real  wants  of  food  and  clothes  and 
comforts    had   not   been   relieved.     Nor    were  they 

*  A  Swiss,  who  went  often  to  the  Assembly,  says  that  each 
man  was  vain  enough  to  fancy  himself  equal  to  the  whole  labor 
of  remodelling  the  government. 


AGE    31.]  LAFAYETTE.  91 

likely  to  be  during  this  summer  (1789),  for  mer- 
chants and. farmers  no  longer  gave  their  whole 
attention  to  business,  and  the  nobles  began  to  quit 
France,  taking  with  them  the  money  they  had  been 
accustomed  to  spend  every  year. 

The  natural  consequences  of  such  a  condition 
were  mobs  and  tumults  in  the  cities,  the  burning  of 
chateaus*  and  sometimes  killing  the  lords,  in  the 
country. 

Lafayette  took  part  in  the  labors  of  the  Assembly 
with  great  spirit.  He  welcomed  everything  which 
was  at  all  like  the  laws  and  customs  of  the  United 
States,  and  his  letters  to  General  Washington  were 
full  of  hope.  He  excused  the  outbreaks,  alarming 
as  they  were,  on  account  of  the  long  suffering  of  the 
people. 

But  a  more  serious  one  took  place  in  Paris  when 
the  citizens  heard  that  Monsieur  Necker,  a  popular 
minister,  had  been  dismissed,  and  that  the  troops 
were  drawing  nearer  to  Paris,  and  even  entering  the 
city.  The  excitement  was  intense  for  several  days 
in  July,  and  at  last,  after  some  regiments  had  arrived 
and  others  were  reported,  it  broke  out  into  a  uni- 

*  The  country-houses  of  the  nobles,  -which  had  generally  been 
castles. 

7 


92  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

versal  demand  for  arras.  The  mob  entered  shops  or 
public  offices  where  they  thought  any  guns  could  be 
found,  and  all  smiths  and  armorers  worked  day  and 
night.  The  great  bells  sounded  the  alarm ;  the 
soldiers,  with  strange  stupidity  or  indifference,  did 
nothing  at  all;  and  on  the  14th  of  July  an  armed 
crowd  of  volunteers,  who  believed  that  they  could  no 
longer  submit  to  authority,  but  that  this  day  they 
must  "  do  or  die,"  accompanied  by  all  the  rabble  of 
Paris,  attacked  an  ancient  prison  called  the  Bastile. 
After  '  a  short  resistance,  the  few  soldiers  who 
defended  it  were  compelled  to  yield,  and  the  com- 
mandant was  killed  in  the  street.  The  people 
seemed  almost  ready  to  tear  down  with  their  hands 
the  solid  stone  walls.  Furious  as  they  were,  how- 
ever, there  was  some  cause  for  their  rage  ;  for  terrible 
deeds  had  been  done  in  that  prison.  Men  had  been 
shut  up  there  for  half  a  lifetime,  without  even  know- 
ing whether  their  fathers  and  mothers,  wives  and 
children,  were  still  living,  —  there  the  innocent,  upon 
whom  no  sentence  had  ever  been  pronounced,  had 
despaired  of  seeing  again  the  light  of  day.  What 
sufferings  and  what  deaths  those  Avails  had  concealed 
could  never  be  known ;  but  thinking  of  them  might 
well    have    maddened   a   calmer   people    than    the 


AGE    31.]  LAFAYETTE.  03 

Parisians !  The.  few  prisoners  found  there  were 
paraded  through  the  streets  on  men's  shoulders,  and 
a  sort  of  wild  rejoicing  took  possession  of  Paris. 
In  other  countries,  all  who  loved  liberty  could  not 
help  being  glad  that  such  a  dungeon  was  destroyed, 
and  the  key  of  the  great  gate  was  sent  by  Lafayette 
to  General  Washington. 

While  all  this  tumult  was  stirring  Paris,  the 
Assembly  at  Versailles  were  bent  on  making  the 
king  withdraw  his  troops.  They  sent  to  him  three 
times  during  the  day,  and  continued  sitting  nearly  all 
night.  The  next  day  he  suddenly  agreed  to  their 
request ;  all  was  rejoicing  at  Versailles,  and  Lafay- 
ette with  several  other  deputies  was  sent  to  Paris 
with  the  good  news.  The  city,  calmed  from  the 
frenzy  of  the  day  before,  received  them  joyfully,  and 
Lafayette  was  appointed,  by  acclamation,  commander 
of  the  National  Guard.*  From  this  time  forward, 
we  find  him  hard  at  work  in  Paris,  and  seldom  able 
to  take  his  place  in  the  Assembly. 

He  immediately  published  an  order  for  pulling 
down  the  Bastile,  and  began  to  arrange  and  divide 

*  He  suggested  this  name  for  the  volunteers  of  Paris,  —  citi- 
zens who  were  armed  and  drilled,  and  performed  some  of  the 
duties  of  police. 


94  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

the  National  Guard.  He  was  exceedingly  desirous 
that  they  should  be  citizens  as  well  as  soldiers, 
obeying  the  laws  and  magistrates  as  Avell  as  their 
officers.  Several  regiments  of  the  army  insisted  on 
joining  it ;  but  Lafayette  would  never  allow  it  to  be 
merely  a  military  establishment.  He  set  them  the 
example  of  respect  for  law,  by  insisting  upon  a  regu- 
lar vote  for  his  own  office,  several  days  after  his 
public  appointment.  "  Lafayette  enjoyed  at  once 
that  entire  confidence  and  public  esteem  which  are 
due  to  great  qualities.  The  faculty  of  raising  the 
spirits,  or  rather  of  infusing  fresh  courage  into  the 
heart,  was  natural  to  him.  His  appearance  was 
youthful,  which  is  always  pleasing  to  the  multitude. 
His  manners  were  simple,  popular,  and  engaging." 

It  was  not  strange  that  obedience  was  rare  in  these 
days,  for  no  one  had  any  authority.  The  king's 
power  was  growing  less  and  less ;  he  was  obliged  to 
let  his  soldiers  join  the  National  Guard,  because  they 
had  already  left  their  quarters,  and  were  wandering 
about  the  streets  of  Paris;  the  judges  and  other 
magistrates  appointed  by  him  were  disliked  and 
suspected;  the  assembly  at  Versailles  had  hardly 
begun  to  "  make  the  Constitution ; "  *  and  there  was 

*  A  favorite  French  expression  at  that  time ;  but  a  constitution 


AGE   31.]  LAFAYETTE.  95 

no  strong  hand  to  govern.  The  people,  crushed 
by  long  oppression,  and  now  aroused  to  vengeance 
rather  than  improvement,  were  totally  unfit  to  gov- 
ern themselves. 

The  National  Guard  were  needed  in  Paris  to  clear 
the  streets,  to  prevent  thieves  from  stealing  by  day 
as  well  as  by  night,  to  save  unpopular  persons  from 
being  hung  upon  lamp-posts,  and  to  make  the  city 
safe  for  peaceable  people.  All  sorts  of  vile  wretches, 
who  at  common  times  keep  out  of  sight  in  the  side- 
streets  and  dingy  shops  of  great  cities,  now  canle 
boldly  forth,  and  in  the  name  of  liberty  sought  for 
chances  to  commit  crimes.  The  crowds  of  idle  peo- 
ple constantly  drawn  together  by  street-orators  were 
easily  roused,  even  to  the  point  of  putting  to  death ; 
and  there  seems  no  reason  to  doubt  that  men  Avere 
actually  hired  by  some  of  the  nobles  to  join  these 
crowds  and  stir  them  up  to  every  kind  of  mischief 
and  cruelty.  The  design  was  to  bring  the  revo- 
lution into  disgrace,  and  make  it  appear  that  liberty 
led  to  violence. 

This  was  precisely  what  Lafayette  was  resolved 
to  prevent.    Liberty  and  order  were  connected  in  his 

is  not  a,  machine,  to  be  made,  —  it  must  grow  in  part,  at  least, 
from  the  habits  of  a  nation. 


96  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

mind ;  freedom  did  not  mean  that  the  wicked  only 
were  free  to  do  all  the  evil  they  might  feel  disposed 
to,  but  that  the  good  and  the  industrious  were  to 
have  liberty  to  keep  all  they  could  earn,  and  to  live 
as  they  desired. 

It  is  hard  to  imagine  the  restlessness  and  excita- 
bility of  the  people  of  Paris  which  Lafayette  was 
constantly  made  to  feel.  About  this  time  there  was 
for  several  weeks  a  great  scarcity  of  flour,  and  the 
magistrates  did  not  know  how  to  get  enough  into  the 
city  to  feed  the  inhabitants,  and  the  great  number  of 
strangers  who  flocked  thither.  The  bakers  were  in 
a  good  deal  of  danger,  for  sometimes  the  mob  would 
fancy  that  they  concealed  great  quantities  of  flour 
in  their  shops.  Several  notes  were  shown  to  Lafay- 
ette forbidding  the  millers  to  grind  for  the  capital, 
and  to  his  surprise  he  found  his  own  name  at  the 
bottom.  It  was  of  course  a  forgery.  But  what 
could  the  poor  people  think,  when  they  saw  such  an 
order  ?  One  day,  a  little  while  after  Lafayette  had 
taken  command  of  the  National  Guard,  a  great  pub- 
lic meeting  of  tailors  was  called.  He  went  to  it, 
and  made  a  speech  which  probably  prevented  mis- 
chief. It  was  afterwards  found  that  this  meeting 
was  called  merely  to  delay  the  finishing  of  the  uni- 


AGE    31.]  LAFAYETTE.  97 

form  of  the  Guard.  They  would  be  more  easily 
distinguished  in  a  crowd  by  wearing  a  uniform,  and 
so  have  more  power  to  stop  outbreaks ;  and  there 
were  people  enough  in  Paris  ready  to  do  anything 
that  would  keep  up  disturbances. 

Lafayette  led  a  most  active  life.  He  was  con- 
stantly on  horseback,  riding  about  the  city,  consulting 
with  the  magistrates,  addressing  the  people.  One 
day  it  was  an  oration  to  the  officers  of  the  National 
Guard,  —  the  next,  an  appeal  to  a  dirty,  disorderly 
mob  to  be  patient,  to  wait  for  the  constitution  they 
were  making  at  Versailles.  He  had  great  power 
over  them ;  often  when  they  were  hungry  and  savage, 
ready  to  throw  stones,  or  even  to  hang  a  man  at  a 
lamp-post,  a  few  kind  words  from  him,  or  sometimes 
a  little  jest,  would  make  them  good-natured.  The 
trouble  was,  that  they  collected  in  such  huge  groups 
that  his  voice  could  not  be  heard  by  the  distant  ones. 
For  instance,  within  a  week  of  his  appointment,  two 
men  were  hung  hi  the  street,  in  spite  of  his  most 
vigorous  efforts.  He  was  so  much  disturbed  by 
this  violence  that  he  resigned  his  office,  but  the 
entreaties  of  the  most  respectable  citizens  of  Paris 
prevailed  upon  him  to  take  it  again. 

In  this  manner  the  summer  was  passed  in  Paris. 


98  LAFATETTE.  [l789. 

By  great  and  steady  exertion,  Lafayette  and  the 
mayor  succeeded  in  getting  quietly  through  the  weeks 
of  greatest  scarcity.  The  price  of  bread  was  very 
high  and  the  loaves  were  very  poor ;  but,  in  spite  of 
hunger  and  impatience,  the  mob  did  not  again  take 
up  arms.  They  could  not  at  all  understand  why  the 
pulling  down  of  the  Bastile,  and  the  appointment  of 
the  National  Guard  instead  of  soldiers,  had  not  imme- 
diately given  bread  to  the  poor,  and  ease  and  comfort 
to  every  man.  They  wondered  why  the  king's 
consenting  to  their  demands,  and  being  called  the 
Restorer  of  French  liberty,  did  not  at  once  remedy 
all  the  mischief  of  bad  government  for  hundreds  of 
years.  But,  although  puzzled,  the  Parisians  waited 
for  the  constitution  which  was  making  at  Versailles 
with  more  patience  than  the  country-people  did. 
Gaunt,  thin,  fierce-looking  men  attacked  and  burnt 
the  country-houses  of  the  great  lords,  whose  families 
did  not  always  escape  with  their  lives.  The  peas- 
ants had  suffered  terribly,  and  it  was  not  strange  if 
they  were  at  first  more  furious  than  the  citizens  of 
Paris,  for  they  knew  less  of  what  was  going  on  at 
Versailles,  and  had  less  to  divert  their  minds.  The 
land  lay  neglected  and  full  of  nettles  and  briers,  for 
the  peasants  were  so  weak,  so  hungry,  and  so  ill-paid, 


AGE   31.]  LAFAYETTE.  99 

that  they  had  no  heart  to  "work.  They  said  that  all 
their  earnings  went  to  buy  salt,  to  support  the  priests 
and  to  pay  taxes.  And  so,  "when  the  time  came,  they 
took  revenge  on  all  who  had  oppressed  them,  or  who 
belonged  to  the  higher  classes.  Often  the  innocent 
wife  or  child  or  sister  of  a  great  lord  suffered  with 
him,  for  not  only  his  own  hard  acts,  but  for  those  of 
his  grandfather  or  great-grandfather.  Brigands  was 
the  common  name  for  the  most  atrocious  of  these 
people  ;  and  at  any  time  a  panic  could  be  caused  in 
any  city,  even  Paris  itself,  by  a  report  that  the 
brigands  were  coming.  The  news  "of  all  these  dis- 
tresses came  to  Paris,  and  added  to  the  anxiety  of 
the  patriots. 

The  quietness  of  the  city  was  no  doubt  partly  due 
to  the  National  Guard-,  who  became  used  to  acting 
together,  and  interested  in  keeping  order.  They 
wore  a  cockade  of  red  and  blue,  the  colors  *  of  the 
city  of  Paris,  to  which  Lafayette  had  added  white, 
the  king's  color,  to  signify  that  the  Guard  was  faithful 

*  In  former  times  a  knight  was  recognized  by  some  ornament 
on  his  armor,  or  the  colors  of  the  scarf  or  feathers  he  wore ;  and 
so  each  great  family  and  each  city  had  colors  of  its  own,  which 
were  shown  on  banners,  on  the  coverings  of  horses,  on  the  orna- 
ments of  buildings,  &c. 


100  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

to  the  throne.  "  Gentlemen,"  said  he  to  his  friends 
at  the  Hotel  de  Ville,*  "  I  bring  you  a  cockade  which 
will  go  round  the  world !  "  f 

He  was  often  pressed  and  urged  to  take  command 
of  the  National  Guard  of  other  cities,  which  was 
formed  on  the  same  plan  as  that  of  Paris ;  but  he 
always  refused,  thinking  that  it  was  not  sufficiently 
republican  for  one  man  to  have  so  great  power,  and 
also  because  the  task  of  keeping  the  Parisian  mob 
quiet  was  sufficient  to  employ  all  his  energy  and 
zeal.  He  had  refused  the  large  salary  which  was 
offered  him,  but  he  declared  that  he  did  not  consider 
the  refusal  a  matter  to  be  proud  of,  and  that  he 
should  have  accepted  the  money  if  his  own  fortune 
had  not  been  sufficient  for  his  expenses.  These  must 
now  have  been  great,  for  many  Frenchmen  wished 
to  visit  him,  and  strangers  had  great  curiosity  to  see 
him,  so  that  his  table  was  often  a  long  one. 

*  The  town-house,  or  city  hall. 

f  It  has  been  worn  in  several  countries,  but  not  always  by 
people  whom  Lafayette  would  have  approved  of. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

LIBERTY  IN  OCTOBER. 

Early  in  October,  1789,  another  outbreak  oc- 
curred. There  was  at  this  time  a  regiment  called 
the  Body- Guard  on  service  about  the  king's  palace,  and 
the  Versailles  National  Guard  were  sometimes  ad- 
mitted within  court  limits.  In  addition,  the  king  sent 
for  a  regiment  called  the  Flanders.  On  its  arrival, 
the  Body-Guard  gave  a  grand  dinner  of  welcome. 
After  dinner,  the  king,  queen,  and  dauphin*  visited 
the  hall,  and  looked  graciously  upon  their  defenders. 
The  poor  queen,  whose  court  was  very  dull,  whose 
high  spirit  was  every  day  wounded  by  the  king's 
inferior  position,  whose  hopes  even  for  her  little  son 
were  beginning  to  be  dimmed,  was  delighted  to  hear 
once  more  a  hearty  cheer,  "  Vive  le  Roi ! "  f     Her 

*  The  eldest  son  of  the  king  of  France, 
t  Long  live  the  King ! 


102  LAFAYETTE.  [l7S9. 

beauty,  the  sight  of  the  court  ladies  attending  her, 
the  music  they  heard,  and  the  wine  they  had  drunk, 
all  excited  the  Guards  ;  prudence  was  forgotten ;  the 
National  Assembly  near  them  and  the  mobs  of  Paris 
were  alike  out  of  sight  and  out  of  mind ;  the  tricolor 
cockade  was  torn  from  their  coats  and  trampled  on 
the  floor,  amid  shouts  and  cheers  for  the  royal 
family. 

This  would  have  passed  off  at  common  times  as 
merely  the  enthusiasm  of  a  military  dinner ;  but  now 
there  were  spies  in  the  court,  and  watchful  eyes  upon 
everything  that  was  displeasing  to  the  patriots  or  the 
mob.  This  feast  was  reported  at  Paris,  and  the 
people  immediately  said,  "How  is  this?  We  are 
starving  and  standing  in  long  trains  before  the 
bakers'  shops,  while  at  Versailles  the  idle  soldiers 
can  give  dinner-parties ! "  The  account  was  exag- 
gerated, and  one  Monday  morning,  the  5th  of  Octo- 
ber, the  insurrection  of  women  began.  Early  in  the 
day  vast  numbers  of  them  streamed  all  over  the 
Hotel  de  Ville,  up-stairs  and  down-stairs,  to  find  the 
Mayor.  They  were  poor  women,  seamstresses,  wash- 
erwomen, fish-women,  coarse  and  rude,  market- 
women,  accustomed  to  talk  loudly  in  their  stalls. 
Some  of  them  were  bold,  noisy,  and  furious ;  others, 


AGE    32.]  LAFAYETTE.  103 

more  respectable  and  modest,  apologized  for  the 
behavior  of  their  companions ;  but  they  all  said  the 
same  thing.  "  Bread  !  bread  !  "  was  the  universal 
cry,  —  "  for  ourselves  and  for  our  children  !  "  Some 
of  them  had  seized  rusty  pikes  and  old  guns,  but 
their  real  power  lay  in  their  numbers ;  they  had  been 
of  course  joined  by  a  great  many  men,  and  they 
blocked  up  the  streets  and  squares  all  about  the 
Hotel  de  Ville.  Lafayette,  who  arrived  there  early, 
was  obliged  to  sit  still  on  his  white  charger.  Many 
and  many  a  time  he  addressed  them,  but  they  would 
not  disperse,  and  cries  of  "  Let  us  go  to  Versailles  " 
were  mingled  with  the  shout  for  bread.  They  must 
have  been  pretty  good-natured,  for  he  managed  to 
keep  the  greater  part  of  them  standing  there  for 
eight  hours.  But  at  last  he  could  no  longer  resist 
them,  and  sent  to  inquire  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville  if  the 
magistrates  would  permit  him  to  go.  They  were 
thankful  to  get  rid  of  the  mob  upon  almost  any 
terms,  and  gave  the  permission.  But  this  was  a  real 
proof  of  courage,  that  he  dared  to  keep  an  angry 
crowd  waiting  while  he  showed  this  desire  to  obey 
the  magistrates. 

He  provided  as  quickly  as  possible  for  the  pi'otec- 
tion  of  the  city,  and  set  forth  at  the  head  of  a  strange 


104  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

procession  of  National  Guards,  accompanied  by 
women,  and  unhappily  by  the  worst  and  lowest  vil- 
lains of  Paris,  the  brigands. 

Messengers  had  been  already  sent  in  haste  to 
give  warning  at  Versailles,  and  thousands  of  women, 
accompanied  by  armed  men  and  a  few  cannon,  had 
set  out  at  an  earlier  hour.  They  found  Versailles 
in  a  state  of  agitation  almost  equal  to  that  of  Paris. 
Crowds  had  pressed  about  the  building  occupied  by 
the  Assembly  from  early  morning ;  the  members  had 
been  disturbed ;  the  courtiers  knew  not  what  to  do, 
as  it  was  very  doubtful  if  the  soldiers  could  be 
trusted;  the  king,  who  was  out  hunting,  had  been 
hastily  summoned  home,  but  had  given  no  orders 
after  he  came. 

The  troops  of  women  had  crowded  into  the  As- 
sembly's hall  and  eaten  sausages  there,  all  the  while 
noisily  applauding  their  favorite  deputies,  or  bidding 
the  unpopular  ones  hold  their  tongues.  The  presi- 
dent had  tried  in  vain  to  restore  order.  Other 
women  flattered  the  soldiers,  and  used  every  kind  of 
persuasion  to  make  them,  as  they  said,  friends  of  the 
people.  Finally  they  sent  in  a  committee  of  twelve 
to  speak  with  the  king,  who  was  very  gentle  and 
courteous  to  them,  so  that  they  went  out  again  quite 


AGE   32.]  LAFAYETTE.  105 

content  and  pleased,  but  their  companions  scolded 
them  for  bringing  no  bread. 

All  was  confusion.  There  were  no  places  for  this 
vast  multitude  to  sleep  in,  when  night  came  on.  It 
was  ahnost  impossible  for  them  to  get  enough  food, 
for  they  were  very  hungry  after  their  long  march  — 
they  Avere  wet  and  cold  and  forlorn,  —  not  in  a  state 
of  body  very  favorable  to  good  temper  or  good 
behavior. 

Lafayette  arrived  a  little  before  midnight,  and 
went  first  to  see  the  President  of  the  Assembly, 
whom  he  found  very  anxious ;  then  he  proceeded 
to  the  palace,  in  company  with  two  commissioners 
from  Paris,  who  made  their  requests  to  the  king. 

He  agreed  to  all  they  asked,  and  one  point  was, 
that  he  should  come  and  live  in  Paris.  The  cour- 
tiers and  attendants  were  alarmed  and  restless ;  the 
king  seemed  uncertain ;  the  queen  alone  kept  a  firm 
countenance,  however  terrified  she  may  have  been 
in  her  heart.  Lafayette  provided  as  well  as  he 
could  for  the  defence  of  the  palace  during  the  night, 
but  he  was  not  allowed  to  place  the  National  Guard 
in  any  but  the  outer  posts.  Leaving  all  quiet  there, 
he  went  to  find  accommodations  for  the  Guard  for  the 
rest  of  the  night,  and  consulted  with  his  officers  in  a 
room  which  he  intended  to  use  as  head-quarters, 


106  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

After  so  long  a  day  of  activity  and  anxiety,  he 
was  just  throwing  himself  down  to  get  a  little  sleep, 
when  an  alarm  came  from  the  palace,  that  the  brig- 
ands had  broken  into  the  queen's  apartments  and 
were  massacring  the  Body-Guard !  He  rushed  to 
the  palace,  and  found  that  the  mob  had  indeed  burst 
in,  but  that  only  two  of  the  Body-Guard  had  been 
killed.  The  queen  was  saved  by  their  devotion ;  — 
while  fighting  desperately  they  had  cried  out,  Save 
the  queen !  and  an  officer  flew  to  the  door  of  her  room 
and  alarmed  her  ladies.  Hastily  wrapping  something 
around  her,  they  all  took  refuge  in  the  king's  apart- 
ments. Lafayette  by  great  exertions  succeeded  in 
clearing  the  palace,  and  saving  the  Body-Guard  and 
other  troops  from  the  fury  of  the  mob ;  but  it  was 
necessary  for  them  to  put  on  the  tricolor  cockade, 
which  they  had  thrown  down  a  few  days  before. 

A  scene  took  place  which  shows  the  nature  of  the 
French  and  of  soldiers  generally.  The  National 
Guard  had  come  to  Versailles  indignant  at  the  Body- 
Guard  and  their  dinners ;  but  when  this  alarm  was 
given,  the  first  company  that  reached  the  spot  was 
one  of  grenadiers  who  had  fought  in  former  years  in 
company  with  the  Body-Guards.  All  quarrels  were 
forgotten;  they  remembered  only  that  they  were 
brothers-in-arms,  and  saved  them. 


Lafayette  and  Mane  Antoinette  on  the  Balcony  atVersaille' 


AGE   32.]  LAFAYETTE.  107 

Lafayette  now  placed  the  National  Guard  every- 
where, with  solemn  charges  to  protect  the  royal 
family.  lie  then  proceeded  to  the  balcony  a*nd  ha- 
rangued the  multitude  who  filled  the  court  below; 
he  did  not  hesitate  to  rebuke  them  for  their  violence, 
and  assured  them  of  the  king's  intention  to  come 
to  Paris.  The  king  himself  appeared  and  confirmed 
it,  and  then  Lafayette  said  to  the  queen,  "  Madame, 
what  is  your  own  intention  ?  "  "I  know  the  fate 
which  awaits  me,"  she  answered  ;  "  but  it  is  my  duty 
to  die  at  the  king's  feet  and  in  my  children's  arms." 
"  Come  with  me,  Madame,"  said  he.  "  What !  alone 
on  the  balcony !  Have  not  you  seen  the  signs  they 
have  made  ? "  "  Yes,  Madame,  but  come."  She 
stepped  forward  with  her  children,  but  a  voice  cried 
a  No  children ! "  and  she  gently  pushed  them  back 
and  advanced  alone  before  the  angry  mob.  She  was 
terribly  unpopular.  They  hated  her  because  she 
was  an  Austrian,  and  because  they  thought  she  ad- 
vised the  king  against  all  the  plans  for  their  good. 
False  stories  too  had  been  cruelly  told  about  her, 
years  before,  so  that  she  had  long  been  an  unhappy 
lady ;  and  now  you  can  imagine  her  heart  was  almost 
breaking  with  fear  and  with  humiliation  at  being  in 
the  power  of  the  crowd  whom  she  had  been  taught 


103  LAFAYETTE.  [1789. 

to  despise.  They  could  not  help  admiring  her  as 
she  stood  before  them,  so  beautiful,  so  brave,  and  so 
dignified.  Lafayette  could  not  make  himself  heard 
above  the  tumult,  so  he  knelt  down  and  kissed  the 
queen's  hand.  When  they  saw  that,  they  cried 
out  "  Vive  le  General !     Vive  la  Reine ! "  * 

Then  the  king  said  to  Lafayette,  "And  now 
what  can  you  do  for  my  Guards  ? "  tt  Bring  one 
here,"  was  Lafayette's  answer,  and,  giving  him  his 
own  tricolor  cockade,  he  embraced  him  before  all  the 
people,  who  then  shouted  for  the  Body-Guard.  By 
these  acts  Lafayette  endeavored  to  teach  them  that 
their  own  liberty  need  not  interfere  with  respect  for 
the  queen,  and  that  they  might  be  merciful  to  an 
enemy  whom  they  had  conquered.  They  knew  well 
enough  that  he  was  their  friend,  and  he  wanted  them 
to  see  that  he  meant  to  be  the  queen's  at  the  same 
time. 

The  morning  was  spent  in  hasty  preparation  for 
the  departure  for  Paris.  Kings  and  queens  do  not 
generally  move  from  palace  to  palace  in  such  haste, 
and  the  ladies  in  waiting  were  too  frightened  to  pack 
trunks.  The  mob  emptied  the  magazines  of  Ver- 
sailles, and  fancied  that  they  should    supply  Paris 

*  Long  live  the  General !     Long  live  the  Queen ! 


AGE    32.]  LAFAYETTE.  109 

with  the  cart-loads  of  grain  which  formed  a  part  of 
the  strange  procession  that  set  out  at  one  o'clock. 
The  National  Guard  walked  hefore  and  behind  the 
royal  carriage  ;  the  National  Assembly  followed  in 
a  long  line  of  coaches,  and  the  mob  filled  up  all 
spaces.  "Women  seemed  to  be  everywhere,  and, 
though  Lafayette  rode  by  the  side  of  the  king's 
coach,  he  could  not  always  prevent  the  queen's  hear- 
ing some  of  the  rude  speeches  of  these  dirty,  coarse 
women.  They  were  no  longer  furious  ;  the  city  of 
Paris  had  sent'  out  after  them  cart-loads  of  loaves, 
and  they  connected  in  some  unreasonable  way  the 
king's  living  in  Paris  with  a  supply  of  provisions. 
One  of  them  called  out,  "  Courage,  friends  !  —  we  are 
bringing  you  the  baker,  the  baker's  wife,  and  the 
baker's  boy  ! "  This  is  not  the  language  queens  are 
used  to  hear,  but  it  was  much  better  than  threats  or 
insult. 

Moving  slowly,  this  train  arrived  at  Paris  in  the 
evening;  and  the  royal  family  were  first  taken  to  the 
Hotel  de  Ville,  where  the  king  got  out  of  his  carriage 
and  showed  himself  to  the  people,  wearing  the  tricolor 
cockade.  He  desired  the  mayor  to  say  that  he  came 
to  live  among  his  people  of  Paris  with  pleasure  and 
confidence.    The  mayor,  in  repeating,  forgot  the  word 


110  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

confidence  ;  the  queen  reminded  Lira  of  it,  and  he, 
turning  again  to  the  crowd,  said,  "  Gentlemen,  in 
hearing  it  from  the  queen's  lips,  you  are  more  fortu- 
nate than  if  I  had  not  made  the  mistake."  At  last 
they  were  able  to  go  to  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries, 
which  was  not  at  all  ready  for  them,  but  any  resting- 
place  must  have  been  welcome  after  such  a  terrible 
day  and  night. 

All  the  royal  family,  the  king's  aunts  and  sister 
as  well  as  himself,  expressed  much  gratitude  to  La- 
fayette for  Ins  services  during  this  trying  time. 
Even  the  queen,  who  disliked  him,  acknowledged 
that  he  had  saved  their  lives.  It  was  no  easy  matter 
in  these  days  to  serve  the  queen ;  for  the  aversion  to 
her  was  extraordinary,  and  was  not  at  all  confined  to 
the  people  of  Paris. 


CHAPTER    X. 

DOUBTS. 

The  royal  family  were  now  to  live  at  the  Tuileries 
in  a  monotonous,  lonely  way.  The  nobles  had  been 
for  many  months  leaving  France  to  seek  safety  by  liv- 
ing-in  foreign  lands,  and  the  court  was  thin  and  small. 
The  queen  occupied  herself  with  her  children,  and 
with  writing  letters ;  she  had  many  plans  of  escap- 
ing from  Paris  to  join  the  emigrant  nobles  and  her 
own  family.  The  king  lamented  the  loss  of  his 
hunting,  and  amused  himself  as  best  he  could.  "When 
they  drove  about  Paris,  they  were  always  well  re- 
ceived by  the  people. 

For  a  few  clays  after  their  arrival,  all  was  joy  and 
rejoicing;  but  before  the  end  of  October  a  bakei^'s  shop 
was  broken  into,  and  the  baker  killed.  This  outrage 
Lafayette  promptly  punished,  but  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  put  the  city  under  martial  law;  that  is,  to 


112  LAFAYETTE.  [l789. 

give  to  officers  the  power,  if  necessary,  to  shoot  or 
hang  a  man  without  his  being  tried. 

At  this  time  clubs  were  beginning  to  come  into  fash- 
ion in  Paris.  They  were  not  like  the  English  ones, 
places  for  comfort,  but  for  political  discussion ;  and 
generally  the  most  fiery  and  abusive  speeches  were 
made  at  them.  An  immense  excitement  was  kept 
up  in  this  way.  The  most  famous  was  the  Breton, 
afterwards  the  Jacobin  club.  Lafayette's  friends 
tried  to  form  a  milder,  more  respectable  one  ;  but  it 
failed. 

There  was  far  more  trouble  in  the  country  than 
in  Paris  during  the  winter  of  1789-90  ;  but  all  the 
outbreaks  were  reported  in  the  city  and  to  the  Assem- 
bly, which  went  on  making  new  laws  and  speeches, 
all  the  time.  People  must  have  read  nothing  but 
newspapers  and  pamphlets  in  those  days,  to  judge 
by  the  hundreds  that  were  sold ;  while  in  certain 
places  the  walls  of  the  city  were  covered  with  huge 
placards,  fresh  every  day. 

As  the  spring  opened,  Lafayette  sometimes  re- 
sumed his  place  in  the  Assembly ;  he  took  part  in 
discussions  relating  to  the  terrible  riots  at  Marseilles, 
and  to  the  conduct  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  the 
king's  cousin,  who  was  an  exceedingly  difficult  person 
to  manage. 


AGE    32.]  LAFAYETTE.  113 

Early  in  June,  he  brought  forward  a  proposal  that 
no  person  should  ever  command  the  National  Guard 
of  more  than  one  department  of  France.  This  was 
agreed  to  and  became  a  law,  which  proves  Lafayette's 
forbearance,  for  he  must  have  anticipated  that  in  the 
course  of  a  few  weeks  several  commands  would  be 
offered  to  him.  A  project  for  the  meeting  of  deputies 
from  all  the  National  Guards  of  the  kingdom  was 
much  talked  of,  and  the  day  selected  for  it  was  the 
fourteenth  of  July,  the  anniversary  of  the  surrender 
of  the  Bastile. 

In  June,  also,  a  decree  was  passed  abolishing  titles 
of  all  sorts,  the  use  of  liveries  for  servants,  and  some 
other  distinctions  which  had  been  very  common 
among  the  nobles.  Lafayette  was  strongly  in  favor 
of  these  changes,  as  he  desired  to  see  republican 
sirnplicity.take  the  place  of  ancient  forms.  . 

One  incident  of  this  spring.  sIioavs  his  energy  and 
popularity.  A  man  who  had  stolen  a  bag  of  oats 
was  beaten  to  death  (as  Lafayette  thought)  by  a 
mob.  He  was  going  home  in  his  carriage  when  he 
heard  of  the  affair,  and  instantly  pressed  into  the 
thickest  of  the  crowd  and  inquired  who  had  killed 
him.  A  man  being  pointed  out  by  the  Guards,  La- 
fayette seized  him  by  the  collar  and  dragged  him  to 


114  LAFAYETTE.  [l790. 

prison,  reproaching  the  people  for  their  offence. 
When  he  came  out  of  the  prison,  he  ordered  the 
Guards  to  move  off,  and  again,  standing  quite  alone, 
rebuked  the  mob.  He  told  them  they  were  the  dupes 
of  artful  men  who  endeavored  to  stir  them  up,  and 
who  hoped  by  such  tumults  to  bring  disgrace  on  true 
liberty,  and  to  drive  the  king  and  the  Assembly  from 
Paris ;  but  that  he  was  resolved  to  maintain  order. 
While  he  was  speaking,  the  thief,  who  had  appeared 
to  be  dead,  came  to  life,  and  the  people  on  the  edge 
of  the  crowd  were  beginning  to  hang  him,  when 
Lafayette  and  the  Guards  rescued  him.  He  then  for 
the  third  time  addressed  the  people,  and  ordered 
them  to  disperse,  which  they  did  with  shouts  of 
"  Vive  Lafayette ! " 

The  14th  of  July,  1790,  is  known  under  various 
names,  as*  the  celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  the 
destruction  of  the  Bastile,  the  Feast  of  Pikes,  and 
the  Federation  of  the  National  Guard.  Guards 
came  to  Paris  from  twenty-three  departments  of 
France,  to  swear  fidelity  to  "  the  Nation,  the  Laws, 
and  the  King ;  to  maintain  the  Constitution ;  and  to 
protect  the  lives  and  property  of  all."  The  oath  was 
taken  upon  what  was  called  "  the  Altar  of  our  Coun- 
try," which  was  built  in  the  centre  of  an  enclosure, 


AGE    32.]  LAFAYETTE.  115 

surrounded  with  a  grassy  bank,  on  which  were  seats 
for  three  hundred  thousand  spectators  (it  was  sup- 
posed). The  raising  of  this  bank  in  the  Champ-de- 
Mars  *  had  been  one  of  the  extraordinary  sights  of 
the  time.  It  was  found  that  the  hired  laborers  would 
not  finish  it  in  time,  and  all  sorts  of  people  had  joined 
in  the  work ;  deputies,  lawyers,  courtiers,  priests, 
mechanics,  idlers,  ladies,  had  all  filled  and  wheeled 
their  barrow  full  of  earth,  to  prepare  for  the  great 
festival.  All  was  ready  for  the  14th,  and  the  grand 
arch  of  entrance,  the  altar,  and  the  royal  tent  were 
decorated  with  the  taste  for  which  Parisians  are 
always  remarkable.  The  people  poured  out  of  the 
city  at  an  early  hour,  and  the  grassy  banks  were 
soon  turned  into  a  circle  of  gay  colors ;  but  the  day 
was  showery,  and  the  bright  dresses  were  often  hid- 
den by  umbrellas. 

Through  the  high  gate  came  rank  after  rank  of  Na- 
tional Guards,  soldiers,  sailors,  the  mayor  and  magis- 
trates of  Paris,  the  king  and  queen,  (to  whom  all  this 
show  was  but  a  sad  sight,)  and  the  National  Assembly. 
The  people  cheered  their  favorite  deputies,  but*  La- 
fayette was  now  their  idol.     The  king  had  intrusted 

*  A  field  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  city,  used  for  military 
reviews. 


116  LAFAYETTE.  [l790. 

to  him  the  giving  of  all  orders  within  the  enclosure, 
and  he  was  for  that  day  the  most  powerful  man  in 
all  France, — Major-general  of  the  whole  National 
Guard,  which  perhaps  included  three  millions  of  men. 
He  had  arranged  a  system  of  signals  and  expresses, 
by  which  news  was  to  he  carried  all  over  the  king- 
dom as  fast  as  possible.  He  was  the  first  person  who 
mounted  the  steps  of  the  altar  and  took  the  oath. 
As  soon  as  he  had  finished  speaking,  the  whole  body 
of  Guards  cried  out,  "  I  swear  ! "  and,  as  there  were 
about  fourteen  thousand  present,  the  words  must 
have  been  lost  in  a  roar.  The  king  and  the  presi- 
dent of  the  Assembly  also  took  the  oath,  and  cannon 
were  fired.  Through  the  day  there  were  shows  and 
rejoicings,  and  at  night  there  were  illuminations. 

On  the  16th  of  July  the  representatives  of  the 
National  Guard  of  several  different  places,  then  as- 
sembled in  Paris,  made  an  address  to  Lafayette,  ex- 
pressing their  regret  that  the  law  he  had  himself 
proposed  made  it  impossible  for  them  to  unite  under 
his  command,  as  they  would  gladly  have  done. 

Krora  all  this  rejoicing,  one  might  imagine  that 
the  troubles  of  the  nation  were  over,  and  that  a  time 
of  ease  and  quiet  was  coming.  The  king  seemed  to 
have  submitted  to  the  people's  will,  and  the  National 


AGE    33.]  LAFAYETTE.  117 

Guard  might  be  thought  a  sufficient  protection  against 
the  mob.  But  Lafayette  could  not  yet  relax  his 
watchful  control  of  the  city  of  Paris,  —  a  very  small 
excitement  still  collected  a  crowd  ready  for  all  mis- 
chief, and  he  was  always  suspicious  of  the  nobles' 
endeavoring  to  rouse  the  bad  part  of  the  population. 
Those  who  were  still  in  France  and  those  who  had 
taken  refuge  in  other  countries  all  hated  the  revo- 
lution, and  some  of  them  were  ready  to  do  anything 
that  would  make  it  odious. 

From  the  country,  too,  still  came  reports  of  out- 
breaks ;  of  crowds  demanding  bread  and  vengeance ; 
of  burning  castles  and  fields  uncultivated. 

But  even  at  this  time  Lafayette's  whole  thought 
was  not  given  to  his  own  country ;  he  took  a  warm 
interest  in  a  revolution  in  Belgium,  and  the  liberal 
party  there  seem  to  have  looked  upon  him  as 
almost  their  chief. 

The  winter  had  passed  away  without  disturbance, 
though  not  without  alarms,  until  the  28th  of  Feb- 
ruary, when  Lafayette  received  information  that 
there  was  a  chance  of  an  outbreak  at  the  old  disused 
prison  of  Vincennes.  He  left  a  battalion  near  the 
palace  of  the  Tuileries,  and  set  forth  himself  for  Vin- 
cennes.   He  found  a  crowd  just  beginning  to  demolish 


118  LAFATETTE.  [l791. 

the  prison,  and  took  the  ringleaders  to  jail,  after  hav- 
ing threatened  to  bring  cannon  against  one  of  the 
gates  of  the  city  which  was  shut  behind  him.  As  he 
rode  home,  several  shots  were  fired  at  him  and  his 
officers,  and  one  man  tried  to  bring  down  his  horse  in 
order  to  get  closer  aim,  but  a  grenadier's  bayonet 
saved  him.  The  report,  however,  was  spread  that 
he  was  killed. 

In  another  part  of  Paris,  a  different  scene  was 
taking  jjlace.  An  unusual  number  of  gentlemen  had 
been  all  day  about  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries,  and 
some  of  them  had  invited  the  National  Guard  to 
drink  with  them.  Towards  evening  it  was  discovered 
that  they  were  armed,  and  no  one  seemed  to  know 
exactly  what  they  had  come  for.  The  king  came  out 
of  his  apartments  to  see  them,  and  they  loudly 
asserted  that  Lafayette  had  been  killed.  When  pon- 
iards were  shown,  the  king  seemed  disconcerted,  and 
the  officer  in  command  of  the  National  Guard  stoutly 
refused  to  believe  the  death  of  Lafayette.  He  ar- 
rived in  the  midst  of  confusion,  and,  seeing  a  great 
basket  of  weapons,  immediately  ordered  the  gentle- 
men to  be  put  out  of  the  palace. 

This  was  done  and  quiet  Avas  restored  within  the 
Tuileries,   but   the   two   affairs  together   had   given 


AGE    33.]  LAFAYETTE.  119 

Lafayette  a  vexatious  day.  He  believed  that  the 
tumult  at  Viucennes  had  been  excited  by  the  enemies 
of  the  revolution,  and  that  if  he  had  been  killed 
these  Jcnig/tts  of  the  poniard,  as  they  were  called, 
would  have  persuaded  the  king  to  go  off  with  them. 

Lafayette  could  not  be  so  much  at  the  palace  and 
so  often  with  the  king  as  he  was  now,  without  seeing 
that  there  was  a  great  chance  the  king  would  follow 
the  example  of  the  great  lords  and  make  his  escape 
from  France.  The  queen  could  not  be  contented  with 
her  present  mode  of  life ;  the  palace  Avas  gloomy 
and  sad ;  her  former  friends  and  the  courtiers  she 
had  long  known  had  deserted  her ;  she  did  not  under- 
stand these  new  ideas  of  liberty  for  the  people  ;  she 
had  never  been  taught  to  think  of  her  subjects 
except  to  be  kind  and  polite  to  those  about  her ;  and 
she  had  not  had  pleasant  lessons  in  freedom,  seeing 
her  palace  surrounded  by  a  mob  ready  to  kill  her, 
and  being  insulted  in  the  streets  as  she  sometimes 
had  been.  She  had  sense  enough  to  see  that  the 
king's  power  would  never  be  restored  to  him,  that 
her  son  would  not  succeed  to  such  a  throne  as  her 
husband  had,  and  in  her  melancholy  moments  she 
was  afraid  for  all  their  lives.  Her  brother  was  a 
powerful  emperor,  —  was  it  strange  that  she  thought, 


4 


120  LAFAYETTE.  [1791. 

if  she  could  but  go  to  him,  he  would  give  the  king 
and  his  old  friends  .an  army,  and  they  should  come 
back  victorious  over  their  enemies  ?  Of  course  she 
urged  the  king  to  go  while  yet  he  was  able.  Lafay- 
ette and  other  persons  were  always  encouraging 
him  that  all  would  end  Avell ;  and  he  wavered,  some- 
times acting  on  one  side,  sometimes  on  the  other. 

There  was  no  reason  to  suppose  that  she  or  the 
king  expected  this  collection  of  people  at  the  palace, 
but  they  probably  would  not  have  come  if  they  had 
believed  the  royal  family  were  entirely  content. 

After  this,  however,  the  king  used,  in  speaking  to 
Lafayette,  such  strong  expressions  of  determination 
to  abide  by  the  constitution,  that  the  latter  assured 
the  public,  on  his  life,  that  the  royal  family  would 
remain  in  Paris. 

During  the  spring  of  1791,  discussions  were  going 
on  in  the  National  Assembly  which  interested  Lafay- 
ette very  much.  One  related  to  the  position  of  the 
clergy ;  another  to  the  condition  of  the  negroes  in  the 
French  colonies.  In  both  cases  he  was  of  course  in 
favor  of  the  greatest  liberty  that  could  exist  at  the 
same  time  with  good  order. 

In  April  he  was  for  the  first  time  dissatisfied  with 
the  conduct  of  the  National  Guards.     The  king  de- 


* 


I 


* 


Lafayette  attempting  to  conduct  the  King  and  Queen  to  St.  Cloud. 


AGE    33.]  LAFAYETTE.  121 

sired  to  spend  a  few  days  at  Saint  Cloud,  a  palace 
in  the  country,  about  four  miles  and  a  half  southwest 
of  Paris ;  there  he  wished  to  pass  Easter  week,  to 
hear  mass  and  confess  in  his  favorite  church.  As 
soon  as  the  rumor  of  this  got  abroad,  all  sorts  of 
stories  were  started ;  it  was  said  that  thousands  of  men 
with  poniards  lurked  in  ambush  in  the  woods,  and 
would  immediately  overpower  the  National  Guard 
and  carry  off  the  king.  "When  the  royal  carriage 
was  driven  to  the  front  of  the  palace,  the  great  bell 
of  the  nearest  church  began  to  ring,  and  in  a  moment 
the  square  was  crowded  with  people.  They  poured 
in,  crying  "  The  king  shall  not  go  !  we  will  not  let  the 
king  go !  "  Lafayette  came  up  and  addressed  them, 
rode  hither  and  thither  in  vain  ;  and  when  he  gave 
his  orders  to  the  Guards,  was  not  at  all  satisfied  with 
their  obedience.  The  king  and  queen  took  their 
places ;  the  coachman  cracked  his  whip  and  the 
horses  reared,  but  could  do  no  more,  for  many  hands 
snatched  at  their  bridles.  There  the  sovereigns  sat 
for  more  than  an  hour,  waiting,  hoping  that  the  tu- 
mult would  subside,  while  Lafayette  tried  his  utmost. 
At  last  he  told  the  king  that  if  his  Majesty  would 
order  him  to  fire  on  the  crowd  he  would  open  a 
passage  for  the  coach ;  but  that  was  a  thing  Louis  the 


122  LAFAYETTE.  [l791. 

Sixteenth  never  would  do,  —  allow  a  drop  of  his 
subjects'  blood  to  be  shed  by  his  command.  He 
said  No,  and  with  the  queen  got  out  of  the  carriage 
and  went  back  into  the  palace.  Neither  of  them 
ever  saw  Saint  Cloud  again. 

After  this,  Lafayette  proposed  to  the  king  to  de- 
clare frankly  to  the  Assembly  that  while  he  governed 
as  a  constitutional  king  he  must  have  for  himself,  as 
well  as  for  every  other  person,  the  right  to  worship 
God  according  to  his  own  conscience.  The  king 
seemed  touched  by  Lafayette's  earnestness,  but  said 
that  he  would  take  a  day  to  decide ;  and  there  the 
matter  ended. 

Lafayette,  wearied  alike  with  the  plots  of  the 
nobles  and  the  tumults  of  the  mob,  and  offended  by 
the  want  of  discipline  of  the  Guards,  resigned  his 
command.  He  was,  however,  induced  by  many  re- 
quests from  the  Guards  themselves  and  from  other 
excellent  persons,  to  resume  his  labors  for  the  public 
quiet 


CHAPTER    XI. 


A  LAMENTABLE  FLIGHT. 


The  next  important  event  was  that  on  the  night 
of  the  20th  of  June  the  king  and  his  family  escaped 
from  the  Tuileries.  This  was  not  discovered  until 
five  or  sis  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  next  day. 
As  soon  as  Lafayette  heard  of  it,  he  went  imme- 
diately to  the  palace,  but  could  get  little  information 
from  the  attendants  there,  and  then  proceeded  to  the 
Hotel  de  Ville.  On  his  way  he  met  crowds  of  people, 
who  were  furious  against  him  for  having  allowed  the 
king  to  escape.  He  was  perfectly  calm,  and,  seeing 
his  tranquillity,  they  were  a  little  quieted ;  and  he 
talked  with  them  until  the  Assembly,  hearing  of  his 
danger,  sent  for  him.  The  deputies  asked  him  to 
provide  an  escort,  that  they  might  all  return  together ; 
and  he  answered  "  that  he  would  provide  one  out  of 
respect  for  those  who  had  been  sent  to  him,  but  for 


124  LAFAYETTE.  [1791. 

himself  he  should  go  apart,  having  never  been  safer, 
for  the  streets  were  full  of  people."  Arrived  at  the 
Assembly,*  he  said  but  few  words  to  the  members ; 
he  found  them  quite  ready  to  give  the  necessary 
orders;  his  aide-de-camp  was  at  once  sent  off  in 
pursuit  of  the  king. 

There  was  much  excitement  hi  the  streets  of  Paris 
throughout  the  day.  At  the  clubs  the  speeches  were 
furious,  and  Lafayette  was  thoroughly  abused. 

The  next  day  the  National  Guard  asked  leave  to 
repeat  their  oath  of  fidelity  before  the  Assembly,  and 
Lafayette  presented  them  as  tried  and  faithful  sol- 
diers and  citizens. 

It  was  soon  known  that  the  king  had  been  stopped 
at  Varennes.  On  the  25th  of  June  the  royal  family 
re-entered  Paris,  more  like  captives  than  rulers. 

Their  flight  had  been  completely  mismanaged. 
They  had  gone  in  one  great  party,  —  the  king  and 
cpieen,  the  two  children,  the  Princess  Elizabeth,  (the 
king's  sister,)  and  the   children's   governess.     They 

*  The  king  had  left  a  proclamation,  which  was  brought  to  the 
Assembly  by  a  M.  de  la  Porte.  He  was  asked  how  it  came  to 
his  hands,  and  answered,  "  With  a  note."  "  Where  is  this  note  ?  " 
said  a  member.  "  No,  no,"  was  called  out  from  all  sides.  "  It  is 
a  confidential  note;  we  have  no  right  to  see  it." 


AGE   33  .J  LAFAYETTE.  125 

ought  to  have  separated  and  gone  in  the  quietest 
way ;  instead  of  that,  they  had  a  showy  carriage  that 
moved  slowly  and  attracted  attention,  and  the  king 
had  walked  up  hills  to  enjoy  the  sunshine!  They 
were  not  punctual  at  the  place  where  they  expected 
to  meet  soldiers,  and  the  gentlemen  who  conducted 
the  business,  though  devoted  royalists,  do  not  seem 
to  have  made  good  couriers.  Common  travellers 
went  faster  every  day.  Something  of  the  queen's 
suffering  when  they  were  stopped  may  be  known 
from  the  fact  that  her  beautiful  hair  turned  white  in 
one  night. 

Lafayette  exerted  himself  to  keep  the  streets  quiet 
as  the  king  passed  through  them,  and  was  successful. 
There  were  many  discontented  looks,  but  no  outcries. 

While  he  went  to  meet  the  carriage  at  the  gate  of 
the  city,  a  considerable  crowd  collected  about  the  pal- 
ace, and  attempted  to  seize  two  of  the  Body-Guard, 
who  had  ridden  outside  the  coach  of  the  royal  party, 
disguised  as  couriers.  The  queen,  seeing  him,  cried 
out,  eagerly,  "  Monsieur  de  Lafayette,  save  the  Body- 
Guards  !  "     He  secured  a  safe  entrance  for  them  all. 

It  was  his  next  duty,  and  a  very  painful  one,  to  in- 
form their  Majesties  of  the  Assembly's  decree  that 
there  should  be  a  separate  special  guard  for  each  of 


126  LAFAYETTE.  [l791. 

them  and  for  the  Dauphin,  and  that  all  persons  con- 
cerned in  the  flight  should  be  immediately  examined. 
Also,  that  the  acts  of  the  Assembly  would  become 
laws  without  the  king's  consent  to  them  being  asked. 
The  king  heard  all  this  very  calmly,  and  then  said 
to  Lafayette :  "  I  tell  you  frankly  that  until  the  last 
few  days  I  thought  I  was  in  a  whirlpool  of  men  of 
your  opinion,  with  whom  you  surrounded  me,  but 
that  it  was  not  the  opinion  of  France.  I  have  seen 
clearly  on  this  journey  that  I  was  mistaken,  and  that 
it  is  the  common  idea."  The  queen  showed  more 
annoyance,  but  after  a  long  conversation  with  Lafay- 
ette was  heard  to  say  that  she  was  satisfied  with  him. 
He  assured  them  he  would  try  to  make  them  content ; 
but  his  office  became  far  more  oppressive  to  him  than 
it  had  ever  been.  He  was  obliged  to  put  more  sol- 
diers about  the  Tuileries,  so  that  the  royal  family  felt 
painfully  that  they  were  watched,  although  a  large 
number  of  their  friends,  well-known  enemies  of  the 
revolution,  were  still  admitted  to  visit  them.  Lafay- 
ette chose  to  interpret  the  Assembly's  decrees  in  the 
mildest  manner,  though  he  knew  that  some  of  the 
members  were  not  satisfied  with  his  conduct. 

After  this  attempt  at  escape,  there  were  serious 
discussions    in    the  Assembly  as    to    continuing  the 


AGE    33.]  LAFAYETTE.  127 

monarchy  in  France,  and  if  Louis  the  Sixteenth 
should  be  allowed  to  reign.  Some  persons  proposed 
to  put  the  little  Dauphin  on  the  throne  and  have  a 
regency,*  but  the  matter  was  finally  settled  as  Lafay- 
ette and  his  friends  desired.  They  were  already 
disturbed  at  the  violence  of  some  deputies  and  of  the 
clubs,  and  desired  to  give  the  new  constitution  as 
fair  a  chance  as  possible  under  the  present  sovereign, 
and  without  any  more  overthrows. 

But  these  events  and  discussions  could  not  pass  by 
without  exciting  some  tumult  in  such  a  city  as  Paris. 

The  14th  of  July  was  celebrated  cheerfully ;  but 
on  the  17th  a  dangerous  crowd  collected  around 
the  altar  of  the  Champ  de  Mars.  They  pretended 
that  they  only  wished  peacefully  to  sign  a  petition 
and  then  disperse ;  but  they  lingered  many  hours, 
until  it  became  necessary  for  the  mayor  and  Lafay- 
ette, with  a  strong  body  of  the  National  Guard,  to 
march  against  them.  With  some  difficulty  and  some 
loss  of  life,  the  rioters  were  put  down ;  but  they  had 
formed  wild  schemes  of  attacking  the  Assembly,  and 
the  good  citizens  of  Paris  felt  much  relieved  when 
at  night  all  ended  within  the  Champ  de  Mars,  instead 

*  A  regency  consists  of  one  or  more  persons  who  govern  while 
a  king  is  a  child  or  insane,  —  unfit  to  rule,  for  any  reason. 


128  LAFAYETTE.  [l791. 

of  spreading  through  the  streets,  as  was  feared,  The 
mayor  and  Lafayette  were  both  much  troubled  by 
the  character  of  this  outbreak.  Barricades  *  had 
been  erected,  and  the  National  Guard  were  fired  on 
more  freely  than  ever  before ;  the  beginning  of  the 
day  was  also  bloody,  for  two  old  men  concealed 
beneath  the  altar  had  been  killed  by  the  crowd. 

The  summer  was  much  occupied  with  the  revision  f 
of  the  constitution,  and  Lafayette  took  an  active  part 
in  the  last  debates  of  the  National  Assembly.  The 
constitution  was  accepted  by  the  king  in  Sep- 
tember, and  in  the  same  month  the  Assembly  broke 
up.  It  had  done  a  great  work  for  France.  It  had 
destroyed  many  old  abuses,  given  greater  freedom  to 
the  common  people  than  had  been  dreamed  of  before, 
secured  religious  liberty,  and  formed  a  new  system  of 
government.  Some  persons  doubted  if  it  had  left 
the  king  sufficient  power  to  be  anything  more  than  a 
name  and  a  show ;  but  Lafayette's  chief  fear  was 
from  the  violence  of  certain  public  men,  who  seemed 

*  Barricades  are  made  by  piling  vehicles,  paving-stones,  pieces 
of  fences,  anything  the  crowd  can  lay  hands  upon.  When  well 
made  it  is  exceedingly  hard  to  climb  over  them,  or  to  shoot 
people  behind  them. 

f  Examining,  —  looking  over  to  see  what  errors  there  are. 


AGE    34.]  LAFAYETTE.  129 

discontented  with  the  necessary  restraints  of  order 
and  law,  and  who  probably  did  not  understand  the 
force  of  their  own  expressions,  or  their  effect  on  other 
people.  Such  men  had  shown,  in  the  discussions 
relating  to  a  republic,  utter  indifference  to  the  con- 
dition and  welfare  of  the  king.  From  this  time  forth 
Lafayette  endeavored  to  combine  with  his  love  for 
the  people  sincere  efforts  to  save  the  king's  power. 

On  the  12th  of  September,  1791,  the  day  the  king 
accepted  the  constitution,  Lafayette  proposed  that  all 
trials  for  acts  connected  with  the  Revolution  should 
cease.  This  was  adopted  by  acclamation  by  the 
Assembly,  and  set  free  all  who  were  concerned  in 
the  king's  flight  to  Varennes,  as  well  as  some  of  the 
rioters  of  the  Champ  de  Mars. 

Early  in  October  Lafayette  took  a  most  affection- 
ate leave  of  the  National  Guard  of  Paris.  He  had 
always  intended  to  resign  his  command  when  the 
constitution  should  be  made  ;  and  when  that  Assembly 
which  he  had  been  the  first  to  demand  broke  up,  he 
felt  that  a  very  solemn  and  interesting  period  of  his 
own  fife  and  his  country's  history  was  past. 

His  journey  from  Paris  to  his  home  at  Chavaniac, 
in  Auvergne,  was  one  continued  triumph.  The  city 
of  Paris  voted  him  a  medal  and  a  marble  statue  of 


130  LAFAYETTE.  [l791. 

Washington.  The  National  Guard  of  Paris  sent  him, 
after  his  retirement,  a  sword  cast  from  one  of  the 
bolts  of  the  Bastile. 

For  a  few  months  he  lived  very  happily  in  the 
country,  enjoying  the  great  changes  which  he  found 
in  the  condition  of  the  peasants  about  him.  The 
priests,  however,  still  remained  much  opposed  to  the 
Revolution,  and  he  says,  in  a  letter,  that  "  the  peas- 
ants, released  from  trammels,  paying  one  half  less 
than  they  used  to,  hardly  dare  rejoice  to  be  free,  for 
fear  of  losing  their  souls."  Lafayette  was  always 
liberal  to  every  kind  of  belief  and  worship,  but  he 
desired  that  the  clergy  should  not  be  opposed  to  the 
well-being  of  their  flocks  here  on  earth. 

Shortly  after  his  retirement  some  of  his  friends 
made  an  effort  to  elect  him  Mayor  of  Paris ;  but  a 
more  violent  man  was  successful  against  him.  He 
had  not,  however,  a  long  interval  in  his  public  hfe, 
for  in  December  the  king's  ministers  announced  that 
three  armies  were  to  be  sent  to  the  borders  of 
France  and  Belgium.  Lafayette  was  to  command 
one  of  them.  The  king  in  council  hesitated  a  little 
about  appointing  him ;  his  minister,  M.  de  Narbonne, 
immediately  answered,  "If  your  Majesty  does  not 
appoint  him  to-day,  the  national  wish  will  force  you 
to,  to-morrow." 


AGE    34.]  LAFAYETTE.  131 

Lafayette  came  up  to  Paris ;  was  politely  received 
by  the  king,  and  cordially  welcomed  by  the  Legisla- 
tive Assembly,  which  had  succeeded  to  the  National 
or  Constituent  Assembly.  It  was  composed  of  new 
men,  and  Lafayette's  friends  now  held  the  place 
which  had  been  occupied  by  the  court  party;  that 
is,  they  were  now  the  people  opposed  to  changes  and 
to  new  things,  and  wishing  to  stand  by  the  government 
as  it  was.  Lafayette  expressed  his  respect  for  the 
Assembly,  and  determination  to  support  the  constitu- 
tion. The  President  told  him  publicly  that  the 
nation  with  confidence  opposed  to  its  enemies  "the 
Constitution  and  Lafayette."  The  National  Guard 
fined  the  streets  as  their  former  chief  left  Paris  to 
take  his  new  command. 

"War  with  Austria  was  expected  and  prepared  for ; 
but  the  campaign  did  not  immediately  begin.  There 
were  several  causes  of  quarrel  between  Austria  and 
France,  but  they  were  chiefly  stirred  up  by  the 
emigrant  nobles,  who  in  their  hatred  of  the  new 
people  forgot  all  the  horrors  of  seeing  a  foreign 
army  enter  their  own  country.  The  king  and  queen 
wavered.  He  seems  to  have  wished  that  the  consti- 
tution might  succeed,  and  to  have  been  ready  to 
make  great  sacrifices  for  his  people's  happiness ;  but 


132  LAFAYETTE.  [l791. 

he  could  not  bring  himself  heartily  to  accept  this 
new  order  of  things ;  he  had  no  faith  in  it,  and  was 
always  trying  to  avoid  doing  what  the  friends  of  the 
constitution  desired.  He  constantly  disappointed 
them,  though  they  made  great  sacrifices  for  him. 

The  queen  was  more  decided.  She  corresponded 
with  her  own  family  and  the  emigrants ;  she  would 
have  been  thankful-  to  have  escaped  long  before  their 
unfortunate  attempt ;  and,  being  a  foreigner  and  hated, 
she  had  none  of  the  sympathy  with  the  French 
nation  which  Louis  the  Sixteenth  often  expressed. 
And  yet  even  she  objected  to  some  of  the  conditions 
of  being  restored  by  the  emigrants,  and  she  had  at 
different  times  a  good  deal  of  intercourse  with  more 
violent  republicans  than  Lafayette.  She  seems  to 
have  fancied  herself  safer  if  she  could  have  a  secret 
friend  in  that  party  of  the  Assembly  which  seemed 
to  be  her  bitterest  enemies,  and  she  spared  no  pains 
to  secure  one.  It  is  said  that  she  used  bribes  of 
money  freely. 

Party  spirit  ran  terribly  high  in  the  Assembly  at 
this  time.  Violent  language  was  heard  on  all  sides, 
and  the  club?,  especially  the  Jacobin,  seemed  almost 
as  powerful  in  Paris  as  the  Assembly  itself.  It  was 
an  immense  association,  for  it  had  a  society  connected 


AGE    34.]  LAFAYETTE.  133 

with  it  in  every  town  in  the  kingdom.  And  from 
being  the  name  of  a  club,  it  became  the  title  of  the 
most  violent  and  bloodthirsty  political  party  ever 
known  in  France,  or  it  might  be  said  in  the  civilized 
■world. 

The  ministers,  too,  quarrelled  with  each  other,  so 
that  there  was  no  peace  or  order  anywhere. 

When  Lafayette  arrived  at  Metz,  his  head-quar- 
ters, he  devoted  himself  to  improving  the  condition 
of  his  army.  It  had  been  expected  that,  being  a 
republican,  and  in  favor  of  equality,  he  would  be 
more  indulgent  than  the  former  generals ;  but  it  did 
not  prove  so ;  —  his  desire  was  to  make  the  army 
efficient,  and  strict  discipline  alone  would  do  that. 
He  made  it  understood  that  every  kind  of  luxury 
and  idleness  was  a  sign  of  aristocracy,  and  that  the 
republican  officer  or  soldier  would  be  severe  in  dis- 
cipline and  simple  in  habits. 

He  was  particularly  interested  in  introducing 
horse-artillery,  which  he  had  seen  in  Prussia,  and 
which  has  since  become  famous. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

TROUBLE  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD. 

In  consequence  of  the  various  disagreements 
already  mentioned,  the  three  generals,  Lafayette, 
Luckner,  and  Rochambeau,*  were  summoned  to 
Paris,  and  detained  there  for  some  time.  It  was  finally 
agreed  that  Lafayette  should  be  the  one  to  enter 
Belgium,  and  that  the  minister  of  war  should  never 
change  the  positions  of  the  three  armies  without 
giving  all  three  generals  sufficient  time  to  arrange 
their  movements  on  the  same  plan. 

War  was  formally  declared  in  April,  and  while 
the  generals  were  engaged  in  the  preparations  neces- 
sary for  entering  the  Low  Countries,  they  were  star- 
tled by  a  new  plan  suddenly  sent  to  them  from 
Paris.  According  to  this,  Lafayette  was  to  move 
with   his   whole    army   from   Metz   to    Givet,   near 

*  The  general  of  the  French  troops  in  America  in  1781. 


AGE   34.]  LAFAYETTE.  135 

Charlemont,  a  distance  of  fifty-six  leagues*  in  five 
days.  The  weather  was  excessively  hot,  the  troops 
suffered  much  from  their  rapid  march,  and  the 
officers  had  hard  work  to  collect  the  great  number 
of  horses  necessary  to  transport  the  heavy  cannon 
and  the  baggage  of  a  large  army.  But  it  was  done, 
and  Lafayette's  enemies  in  the  Assembly,  who  had 
hoped  that  a  failure  would  destroy  his  popularity, 
were  for  the  present  disappointed. 

He  was  of  course  becoming  unpopular  now  with 
the  violent  party,  on  account  of  his  devotion  to  the 
king,  just  as  in  1787  he  had  been  looked  upon  with 
horror  by  the  royalists  f  for  his  love  of  liberty. 

The  other  parts  of  the  new  plan  failed,  but  even 
this  slight  beginning  of  active  operations  showed 
that  the  army  could  not  be  trusted.  '  Some  officers 
deserted  in  the  night,  —  others  threw  the  troops  into 
confusion  on  the  field  of  battle. 

After  these  proceedings  Count  Rochambeau  in- 
sisted on  resigning.  Marshal  Luckner  and  Lafay- 
ette, therefore,  remained  in  command.  During  an 
attack  on  Flanders  by  sea,  Lafayette  agreed  to 
occupy  an  intrenched  camp  at  Maubeuge,  with  eight- 

*  A  French  league  is  about  two  and  a  half  English  miles, 
t  The  king's  party. 


136  LAFAYETTE.  [1792. 

een  thousand  men.  A  few  days  after  he  removed 
thither,  some  little  skirmishing  engagements  with  the 
enemy  took  place,  in  which  Lafayette's  young  troops 
showed  their  excellent  discipline,  and  prepared  them- 
selves for  future  distinction. 

But  his  great  interest  even  at  camp  seems  to  have 
been  the  state  of  Paris  and  the  Assembly,  or  rather 
the  Jacobinism  which  was  spreading  over  the  whole 
country.  From  every  quarter  complaints  were 
brought  to  him  of  the  constantly  increasing  power 
and  violence  of  this  party.  He  felt  their  influence 
keenly  in  the  difficulties  which  were  every  day  thrown 
in  his  way  in  relation  to  providing  for  the    army. 

After  much  thought  on  the  subject,  he  decided  on 
writing  a  letter  to  the  Assembly,  in  which  he  spoke 
of  the  Jacobin  faction  by  name,  as  the  enemies  and 
destroyers  of  real  liberty.  He  dwelt  on  the  clangers 
of  France,  at  this  moment  threatened  by  enemies 
without,  and  agitated  within,  and  he  exhorted  the 
Deputies  to  be  at  once  constitutional  and  just.  He 
appealed  to  the  services  of  his  own  past  life  as  proof 
of  his  sincere  devotion  to  the  people,  praised  the 
patriotism  and  courage  of  his  army,  and  urged  loy- 
alty to  the  king  and  constitution,  and  the  putting 
down  of  clubs.     He  also  explained  the  difficulties  he 


AGE   34.]  LAFAYETTE.  137 

had  had  with  the  ministers,  so  that  this  letter  must 
have  raised  up  for  him  many  open  enemies  where 
before  he  had  secret  ones. 

It  cannot  be  said  to  have  produced  much  effect  on 
the  Assembly.  Seventy-five  departments  *  of  France 
announced  their  agreement  with  its  principles,  but 
the  moderate  men  had  hardly  been  at  all  strength- 
ened by  it  when  the  horrors  of  the  20th  of  June 
filled  all  minds  with  consternation. 

On  this  day  an  attack  was  made  by  the  mob  on 
the  palace  of  the  Tuileries.  For  several  hours  a 
great  multitude  marched  through  the  apartments. 
They  insulted  the  king  and  queen,  but  did  not  kill 
them,  and  at  last  withdrew  in  obedience  to  the  mayor, 
Petion.  Both  he  and  the  Assembly  behaved  very 
ill ;  they  would  not  believe  that  the  king  was  in 
danger,  or  take  anv  measures  for  his  defence.  The 
crowd  were  armed  Avith  axes,  pikes,  knives,  or  any- 
thing they  could  lay  hands  on ;  they  also  carried 
on  high  poles  various  inscriptions,  such  as  "  Death  to 
tyrants ! "  and  symbols,  such  as  a  little  guillotine,  &c. 

The  king  and  queen  had  been  separated.  A  few 
attendants  and  some  grenadiers  were  with  difficulty 

*  Districts. 


138  LAFAYETTE.  [l792. 

collected  about  the  king ;  they  drew  him  a  little  back 
into  a  recessed  window,  and  put  a  table  before  him. 
And  in  this  way  he  stood  for  hours  watching  his 
people  as  they  passed  through  the  room.  Men  and 
women,  alike  coarse  and  rough,  spoke  to  him  from 
time  to  time,  compelled  him  to  wear  the  red  cap, 
called  the  cap  of  liberty,  or  claimed  his  consent  to 
certain  public  measures.  "  This  is  not  the  time  nor 
the  manner  to  ask  me,"  said  the  king,  firmly.  Louis 
the  Sixteenth  did  not  know  how  to  be  popular,  could 
not  win  the  nation  by  brilliant  acts  either  in  politics 
or  war ;  but  he  had  courage,  and  could  endure.  On 
this  day  a  soldier  standing  near  him  said  something 
of  the  alarm  he  must  be  in.  "  No,"  said  the  king, 
"  I  am  in  no  terror ;  I  have  meant  well ;  I  have  no 
fear.  Give  me  your  hand.  Here,"  said  he,  putting 
the  soldier's  hand  upon  his  heart.  "  Does  it  beat  as  if 
I  were  afraid  ?  "  It  seems  that  he  had  expected  this 
outbreak,  and  was  quite  prepared  to  lose  his  life  in  it. 
For  several  days  his  thoughts  had  been  turned  to 
heaven  rather  than  earth. 

The  queen  was  in  an  agony  at  being  separated 
from  him,  and  only  the  entreaties  of  her  attendants, 
who  assured  her  the  king's  danger  would  be  in- 
creased by  her  appearance,  kept  her  in  her  private 


AGE    34.]  LAFAYETTE.  139 

apartments ;  she  was  obliged  to  hasten  from"  room  to 
room  as  the  crowd  broke  down  doors.  The  court 
ladies  and  gentlemen  with  her  were  of  course  unfit 
•to  resist  a  furious  armed  mob.  She  was  not  called 
for  until  some  grenadiers  had  been  got  into  the  palace, 
who  were  ranged  on  each  side  of  her,  while  a  large 
council-table  formed  a  sort  of  barricade  between  her 
and  the  never-ending  multitude  who  swept  through 
the  rooms  she  might  once  have  called  hers.  Pro- 
tected by  the  faithful  troops,  she  listened  for  hours 
to  the  horrid  cries  of  the  rabble,  and,  however  dis- 
tressed at  heart,  it  is  said  that  her  face  never  showed 
disturbance.  Her  manner  was  gentle  and  courteous 
to  all  who  spoke  to  her.  She  was  obliged  to  bear 
the  ignominy  (to  her)  of  putting  the  red  cap  on  her 
own  head,  and  then  on  the  Dauphin's.  Poor  chil- 
dren! Imagine  how  frightened  he  and  his  sister 
must  have  been ! 

The  princess  Elizabeth  behaved  nobly  on  this  day. 
Early  in  the  affair,  she  was  trying  to  join  her  brother, 
when  the  crowd  compelled  her  likewise  to  move  into 
a  recessed  window.  Mistaking  her  for  the  queen, 
they  abused  her  in  the  most  shocking  manner. 
Those  about  her  were  just  on  the  point  of  exclaiming 
that  she  was  not  the  queen,  when  the  princess  said, 
10 


140  LAFAYETTE.  [l792. 

"No,  no,  don't  tell  them  my  name ;  let  them  take  me 
for  the  queen."  No  doubt  she  was  ready  to  be 
killed  herself  in  order  to  save  her  sister's  life. 

This  outbreak  was  prepared  by  the  Jacobins,  who 
made  no  secret  of  their  intention  to  excite  it. 

Lafayette  understood  this  the  moment  he  received 
the  news.  His  grief  and  horror  were  great,  for  he 
was  shocked  on  every  point.  That  a  mob  should 
appear  armed  before  the  Assembly,  was  an  insult  to 
the  liberty  he  cherished ;  that  such  a  mob  should 
dare  to  enter  the  palace,  showed  the  weakness  of  the 
National  Guard  ;  and  that  the  Assembly  should  make 
no  effort  to  protect  the  prince,  who  was,  in  name  at 
least,  the  head  of  the  nation,  showed  a  want  of  agree- 
ment between  the  two  chief  powers  of  the  consti- 
tution. 

He  took  a  resolve  —  somewhat  hopeless,  indeed  — 
to  go  to  Paris,  address  the  Assembly,  and  see  what 
could  be  done,  —  if  he  could  yet  collect  around  him  a 
band  of  true  patriots  strong  enough  to  oppose  the 
Jacobins. 

He  reached  Paris  on  the  28th,  and  immediately 
said  to  the  Assembly  that  he  had  come  to  declare 
himself  the  author  of  the  letter  of  the  16th  of  June, 
which  some  persons  had  said  was  a  forgery ;   to  ex- 


AUK    34.]  LAFAYETTE.  141 

press  the  surprise  and  regret  of  the  army  at  the 
events  of  the  20th,  and  to  entreat  that  the  Assembly 
would  order  the  punishment  of  all  who  stirred  up 
such  an  outbreak,  —  would  resist  the  tyranny  of  a 
party,  and  cause  constitutional  powers  to  be  every- 
where respected. 

His  words  produced  little  effect ;  it  was  clear  to 
him,  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two,  that  the  Assembly 
dared  not  oppose  the  Jacobins.  He  visited  the  royal 
family,  who  received  him  politely,  and  with  thanks, 
but  told  him  none  of  their  plans.*  He  made  vain 
attempts  to  collect  the  National  Guard  and  address 
them ;  but  only  a  few  came  to  the  appointed  place, 
and  a  review  which  he  had  intended  to  attend  was 
put  off  by  the  mayor. 

Not  exactly  disappointed,  because  he  had  hoped 
so  little,  but  very  desponding  as  to  the  prospects  of 
his  country,  Lafayette  returned  to  camp.  His  pop- 
ularity in  Paris  was  evidently  gone ;  but  he  thought 
more  of  the  king  and  the  Assembly  than  of  himself. 

*  The  Princess  Elizabeth  said  it  was  time  to  forget  the  past, 
and  throw  themselves  with  confidence  into  the  arms  of  the  only- 
man  who  could  save  the  king  and  his  family.  But  the  queen 
said,  "  It  would  be  better  to  perish  than  to  be  saved  by  Lafayette 
and  the  Constitutionals !  " 


142  LAKAYJSTTE.  [l792. 

It  was  hard  to  have  his  bright  hopes  of  liberty  dashed 
just  at  the  moment  when  they  seemed  to  be  fulfilled. 
He  saw  that  the  power  of  the  Jacobin  club  was  just 
as  much  a  tyranny  as  that  of  any  king  or  emperor. 
And  he  was  convinced,  by  the  way  in  which  he  was 
treated  as  he  passed  through  the  country,  that  the 
greater  part  of  the  nation  sympathized  with  him,  and 
not  with  the  Jacobins. 

At  camp  Lafayette  was  again  troubled  by  obstacles 
thrown  in  his  way  on  purpose.  No  interesting  mili- 
tary movements  occupied  his  time  and  thoughts.  He 
received  orders  from  Paris  to  change  his  department, 
—  that  is,  the  region  he  had  to  defend,  in  a  case  of 
fighting,  —  and  was  then  abused  at  the  clubs  for 
doing  so ! 

In  marching  the  necessary  distance,  Lafayette's 
army  passed  near  Compiegne,  a  royal  seat,  and  the 
idea  occurred  to  him  that  the  king,  attended  by  him, 
might  go  to  the  Assembly  and  announce  his  intention 
of  passing  a  few  days  at  Compiegne  ;  and  that,  once 
arrived  there  and  surrounded  by  certain  faithful 
soldiers  whom  Lafayette  would  answer  for,  he  should 
send  out  a  proclamation  forbidding  the  emigrants  to 
advance  into  France,  declaring  himself  decidedly  for 
the  constitution,  and  ready  to  lead  the  army  against 


AGE    34.]  LAFAYETTE.  143 

Austrians  and  Prussians.  Such  a  declaration  would 
have  strengthened  the  Constitutionals,  would  have 
given  the  king  a  party  he  could  depend  upon,  and 
Avould  have  silenced  the  Jacobins,  who  always  de- 
clared that  the  royal  family  urged  the  coming  of  a 
foreign  army. 

But  Louis  the  Sixteenth  and  his  advisers  could 
not  consent  to  any  measure  so  contrary  to  their  old 
habits  and  inclinations.  Lafayette  was  thanked 
and  refused.* 

Fresh  difficulties  were  created  between  the  Gen- 
erals Luckner  and  Lafayette  during  a  visit  of  the 
former  to  Paris.  It  was  said  in  the  Assembly  that 
Lafayette  had  proposed  to  him  to  march  upon  Paris. 
Their  letters  were  read,  and  fully  proved  that  the 
only  proposals  which  had  passed  between  them  were 
for  attacks  on  the  enemy.  But  the  matter  went  so 
far  that  Lafayette's  enemies  ventured  to  propose  an 
accusation.     This,  however,  was  voted  down. 

The  10th  of  August,  1792,  was  memorable  for  a 
still  more  alarming  attack  on  the  Tuileries.  Twenty 
thousand  armed  men,  followed  by  the  mob  and  brig- 

*  The  queen  is  reported  to  have  said,  alluding  to  the  6th  of 
October,  1789,  "  It  would  be  too  much  to  owe  our  lives  to  him 
twice! " 


144  LAFAYETTE.  [l792. 

ands,  approached  the  palace,  which  was  too  large  to 
be  defended  except  by  regular  soldiers,  well  com- 
manded. The  king  had  about  nine  hundred  Swiss, 
a  few  of  the  National  Guard,  and  some  brave  gentle- 
men, who,  knowing  his  danger,  had  come  rather  to 
die  with  him  than  to  save  him.  The  artillery-men 
refused  to  obey  orders. 

Defence  was  so  hopeless  that  the  royal  family  were 
persuaded  to  go  over  to  the  Assembly.  This  step 
probably  saved  their  own  lives,  but  tbe  faithful  Swiss 
whom  they  left  behind  were  terribly  massacred. 
Either  the  king  forgot  to  give  the  order  he  intended 
forbidding  them  to  fire,  or  it  was  not  delivered  by 
the  person  to  whom  he  gave  it.  It  is  not  known 
on  which  side  the  firing  began,  but  they  could 
of  course  do  nothing  against  such  numbers.  The 
king  and  queen  were  distressed  when  they  heard 
the  noise  of  arms,  and  a  brave  gentleman  offered 
to  carry  another  order  back  to  the  palace.  He 
did  so,  and  a  few  were  saved.  The  Swiss  officers 
and  all  the  attendants  of  the  royal  family  had 
terrible  risks  to  run,  and  it  seems  almost  a  miracle 
that  any  of  them  could  escape  with  their  lives. 

Though  the  king  and  queen  were  not  killed  on 
this  horrible  day,  they  were   ever  after  prisoners, 


AGE   34.]  LAFAYETTE.  145 

and  were  both  executed  by  order  of  the  National 
Convention,  which  took  the  place  of  the  Assembly. 

Lafayette  first  heard  the  account  of  this  terrible 
10th  of  August  from  one  of  the  National  Guard 
escaped  from  the  massacre,  and  from  an  officer  who 
had  been  at  the  Tuileries.  Finding  that  all  was 
violence  and  tyranny  at  Paris,  that  the  king  was  a 
prisoner,  and  the  Assembly  no  longer  really  free, 
Lafayette  declared  that  he  put  his  army  and  him- 
self under  the  orders  of  the  magistrates  of  Ardennes, 
the  department  in  which  he  then  was,  as  they  were 
the  only  authorities  chosen  by  the  people  who  were 
left  for  him  to  obey.  He  told  the  army  what  he  had 
done,  and  was  rejoiced '  to  find  that  both  officers 
and  soldiers  remained  truly  patriotic.  Some  of  the 
neighboring  departments  joined  Ardennes  in  its  res- 
olutions, and  Lafayette  did  not  despair  of  others 
taking  the  same  stand.  In  the  mean  time  he  refused 
obedience  to  the  orders  which  were  sent  to  hini  from 
Paris. 

Immediately  after  the  10th  of  August,  the  enemy, 
under  the  command  of  the  Duke  of  Brunswick, 
entered  France,  but  not  in  the  neighborhood  of  La- 
fayette. He  had  to  guard  the  frontier,  but  was  not 
concerned  in  any  engagement. 


146  LAFAYETTE.  [l792. 

The  Assembly  continued  to  pass  decrees  entirety 
contrary  to  Lafayette's  principles  of  liberty,  and  sent 
numerous  commissioners  to  his  camp  to  try  to  shake 
the  fidelity  of  his  soldiers.  No  towns,  no  magistrates 
showed  themselves  on  his  side ;  he  found  that  by 
persisting  in  his  resistance  he  should  expose  his 
troops  to  two  dangers,  —  one  from  the  enemy,  the 
other  from  their  own  countrymen.  On  the  19th  of 
August,  he  sorrowfully  decided  that  he  was  no  longer 
of  use,  was  exposing  himself  and  his  friends  to  dan- 
ger, and  must  for  the  present  seek  shelter  in  some 
neutral  country.* 

*  A  country  taking  no  part  in  a  Avar. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

EXILE. 

It  was  not  easy  to  find  a  neutral  country  which 
he  could  reach,  and  he  decided  to  pass  through  Hol- 
land on  the  way  to  England.  If  he  could  hope  to 
return  to  France  soon,  he  would  remain  in  England, 
where  he  desired  his  family  to  join  him ;  but  if  his 
own  country  were  not  free,  he  resolved  to  make  his 
home  in  the  United  States.  After  having  written 
this  to  his  wife,  he  added,  "  I  make  no  apology  to 
you  or  my  children  for  having  ruined  my  family ; 
no  one  among  you  would  wish  to  owe  fortune  to  con- 
duct contrary  to  my  conscience." 

After  taking  every  possible  precaution  for  the 
safety  of  his  army,  Lafayette  set  out  on  the  19th  of 
August,  as  if  he  were  merely  reconnoitring,  with  his 
usual  escort  and  some  officers  who  had  served  with 
him  in  the  National  Guard  of  Paris.     Two  of  his 


148  LAFATETTE.  [l792. 

friends,  Messieurs  Latour-Maubourg  and  Bureaux 
de  Pusy,  also  accompanied  hiru,  and  a  third,  M. 
Alexandre  Lameth,  met  them  on  the  road.  He  had 
intended  to  go  to  Lafayette's  camp,  but,  hearing  of  his 
journey,  determined  to  accompany  him.  When  they 
reached  Bouillon,  on  the  borders  of  France,  Lafay- 
ette sent  back  his  escort,  and  all  the  officers  dismissed 
their  orderlies,*  because  they  would  not  deprive 
their  country  of  even  one  defender. 

The  little  party  of  twenty-three  exiles  —  for  such 
they  really  were  —  had  only  reached  Rochefort, 
seven  leagues  from  Bouillon,  when  they  were  stopped 
by  finding  Austrian  soldiers  there.  They  had  of 
course  kept  clear  of  the  enemy's  camp,  but  this  was 
a  sort  of  outpost  which  they  had  not  been  quite  sure 
of.  They  applied  to  the  commandant  for  permission 
to  proceed  the  next  day,  representing  that  they  no 
longer  held  rank  in  the  French  army,  and  therefore 
Avere  not  to  be  treated  as  military  officers,  but  as 
private  gentlemen. 

The  commandant  agreed  very  readily,  but  insisted 
that  they  should  provide  themselves  with  a  passport  f 

*  A  military  officer  oflow  rank,  who  waits  upon  a  superior, 
t  A  permission  from  government  to  go  from  one  country  to 
another.    In  time  of  war  it  is  often  given  by  a  general. 


AGE    35.]  LAFAYETTE.  149 

from  General  Moitelle,  commanding  at  Namur.  This 
general,  when  he  saw  the  letter  announcing  Lafay- 
ette's arrival,  instead  of  saying  anything  about  pass- 
ports, fell  into  transports  of  joy,  and  cried  out,  "  La- 
fayette !  Lafayette  !  Run  instantly  to  tell  the  Duke 
of  Bourbon  !  Lafayette !  Take  post  to  carry  this 
news  to  his  Royal  Highness  at  Brussels ! "  Instead 
of  passports,  an  order  was  despatched  for  forwarding 
the  p7-isoners  immediately,  to  Namur.  They  hoped 
they  should  not  be  long  detained,  but  were  soon  re- 
moved to  Nivelle,  where  a  division  was  made.  Those 
Avho  had  not  served  in  the  National  Guard  were 
released;  the  other  officers  Avere  sent  to  Antwerp, 
where  they  had  to  spend  two  months ;  the  four  Dep- 
uties, to  the  National  Assembly,  Lafayette,  *  Latour- 
Maubourg,  Bureaus  de  Pusy,  and  Lameth,  were 
sent  to  Luxembourg,  where  they  were  separated,  and 
after  a  week's  delay,  escorted  to  Wezel  by  a  Prus- 
sian guard.  There  they  spent  three  months  in 
prison,  parted  from  each  other,  deprived  of  all  news 
and  of  the   means    of  writing.     They   were    never 

*  While  they  were  at  Nivelle,  an  order  came  to  take  away  from 
Lafayette  the  treasure  which  he  was  supposed  to  have  brought 
from  camp!  He  observed,  coldly,  that  "doubtless  the  princes 
would  agree  that  in  his  place  they  would  have  done  that." 


150  LAFAYETTE.  [l792. 

allowed  to  go  out ;  the  double  doors  of  the  prison 
were  bolted  and  padlocked.  Such  a  mode  of  life  was 
enough  to  ruin  any  one's  health.  Lafayette  became 
veiy  ill,  and  when  Maubourg  asked  permission  to 
see  him,  when  he  should  be  near  death,  he  was  told, 
"  That  could  not  be."  Lafayette  recovered,  and  the 
king  of  Prussia  had  the  baseness  to  invite  him,  in 
order  to  improve  his  condition,  to  give  some  advice 
or  information  against  France.  "  The  king  of 
Prussia  is  exceedingly  impertinent,"  said  Lafayette, 
when  this  paper  was  read  to  him. 

Spending  days  in  this  utter  solitude  and  idleness, 
how  varied  and  how  anxious  Lafayette's  thoughts 
must  have  been !  Recollections  of  home,  of  the 
United  States  and  the  free  happy  life  he  led  there, 
must  have  blended  with  the  ideas  of  1789,  his  bright 
hopes  from  the  doings  of  the  National  Assembly,  — 
then  the  scenes  in  Paris  and  at  Versailles,  the  Avomen 
in  insurrection,  the  queen's  courage,  the  visits  at  the 
Tuileries,  the  difficulty  of  convincing  the  king,  the 
devotion  of  the  National  Guard,  the  outbreaks  he 
had  suppressed,  the  gratitude  of  the  citizens,  the 
obstinacy  of  the  courtiers,  —  all  the  events  of  his  life 
for  the  last  four  years  must  have  made  pictures  in 
his  mind,  as  he  walked  to  and  fro  in  his  solitary  cell. 


AGE    35.]  LAFAYETTE.  151 

And  many  a  sound  must  have  re-echoed  on  his  ear, 
from  the  shouts  of  the  mob  to  the  speeches  of  Depu- 
ties, or  the  queen's  firm,  clear  tones.  But  the  over- 
powering feeling  was  anxiety:  first,  for  the  fate  of 
his  family  and  friends,  —  how  far  his  unpopularity 
might  Lave  affected  them ;  next  for  the  king,  a 
prisoner  as  he  knew ;  and  then  for  his  unhappy 
country,  with  enemies  coming  upon  her  from  without, 
and  the  Jacobins  ruling  within.  The  acts  of  those 
few  days  after  the  10th  of  August  had  shown  him 
that  a  terrible  time  was  coming ;  but  how  terrible 
neither  he  nor  any  one  else  could  imagine. 

From  Wesel  they  Avere  removed  to  Magdeburg,  on 
the  Elbe,  from  whence  Lafayette  managed  to  Avrite 
again.  He  dared  not  send  letters  to  his  wife  in 
France,  because  his  handwriting  might  be  recog- 
nized, and  then  the  letter  would  surely  be  stopped ; 
but  he  addressed  them  to  a  friend  in  London,  hoping 
that  his  family  might  have  made  their  escape  to 
England.  He  gives  the  following  account  of  his 
situation :  "  Imagine  an  opening  made  under  the  ram- 
part *  of  the  citadel,!  and  surrounded  with  a  strong, 
high    palisade ;  +    through    this,    after    opening   four 

*  A  strong  outer  -wall.  f  The  centre  of  a  fortress. 

J  A  fence  made  of  posts  set  into  the  ground. 


152  LAFAYETTE.  [l793. 

doors,  each  armed  with  chains,  bars,  and  padlocks, 
they  come,  not  without  some  difficulty  and  noise,  to 
my  cell,  three  paces  wide,  five  and  a  half  long.  The 
wall  is  mouldy  on  the  side  towards  the  ditch,  and  the 
front  one  admits  light,  but  not  sunshine,  through  a 
little  grated  window.  Add  to  this  two  sentinels,  — 
whose  eyes  penetrate  into  this  lower  region,  but  who 
are  kept  outside  the  palisade,  lest  they  should  speak, 
other  watchers  not  belonging  to  the  guard,  and  all 
the  walls,  ramparts,  ditches,  guards,  within  and  with- 
out the  citadel  of  Magdeburg,  and  you  "will  think  that 
the  foreign  powers  neglect  nothing  to  keep  us  within 
their  dominions.  The  noisy  opening  of  the  four 
doors  is  repeated  every  morning  to  admit  my  ser- 
vant; at  dinner,  that  I  may  eat  in  presence  of  ..he 
commandant  of  the  citadel  and  of  the  guard ;  and  at 
night,  to  take  my  servant  to  his  prison.  After  having 
shut  upon  me  all  the  doors,  the  commandant  carries 
off  the  keys  to  the  room  where,  since  our  arrival,  the 
king  has  ordered  him  to  sleep. 

"I  have  books,  the  white  leaves  of  which  are 
taken  out,  but  no  news,  no  newspapers,  no  communi- 
cations, —  neither  pen,  ink,  paper,  nor  pencil.  It  is  a 
wonder  that  I  possess  this  sheet,  and  I  am  writing 
with  a  toothpick.      My  health  fails  daily 


AGE    35.]  LAFAYETTE.  153 

The  account  I  have  given  you  may  serve  for  my 
companions,  whose  treatment  is  the  same." 

In  spite  of  every  precaution  of  government,  news 
came  to  the  prisoners  through  the  jailers  or  the 
soldiers.  They  heard  of  the  success  of  the  French 
army  against  the  enemy,  of  the  execution  of  the 
king,  and  of  the  shocking  murders  under  the  name 
of  law  of  many  of  their  friends  and  innocent  per- 
sons. From  their  own  families  they  could  hear 
nothing.  Their  anxiety  must  have  been  cruel,  but 
Lafayette  never  seems  to  have  lost  hope.  He  took 
excellent  care  of  his  health,  and  there  is  no  complaint 
in  any  one  of  his  letters.  He  had  two  comforts  in 
his  captivity ;  one  was,  the  devotion  of  his  young 
secretary,  Felix,  and  the  other,  some  money  sent  for 
him  to  Magdebourg  by  his  American  friends,  that  he 
might  be  able  to  buy  anything  which  the  officers 
would  permit  him  to  have. 

In  the  spring  of  1793,  the  prisoners  were  allowed 
to  walk  for  an  hour  every  day  in  a  little  garden  in 
one  corner  of  a  fortification.  Each  one  was  taken  out 
separately,  and  an  officer  was  with  him  all  the  time. 

Lafayette  also  had  the  great  happiness  of  receiving 
some  letters  from  his  family  and  friends ;  he  was  not 
permitted  to  keep  them,  but  read  them  once.     His 


154  LAFAYETTE.  [l793. 

answers  were  always  read  by  the  officer  in  command, 
and  he  was  obliged  to  write  with  the  utmost  pru- 
dence, or  else  compelled  to  rewrite  two  or  three 
times,  if  he  said  anything  displeasing  to  Prussian 
notions. 

In  October  he  writes  thus  to  his  wife :  "  You 
know  that  for  an  hour  every  day  I  am  taken  out  of 
my  hole  to  get  a  mouthful  of  fresh  air ;  I  have  books, 
and,  though  the  unlucky  power  of  reading  fast  has 
become  a  trouble  to  me,  I  have  found  in  English, 
French,  and  Latin,  the  means  of  conversing  with  the 
dead,  since  I  am  shut  off  from  the  living.  I  can 
now  even  see  the  Ley  den  Gazette." 

His  friends  were  not  idle  during  these  long  months 
of  imprisonment.  His  former  aides,  now  in  London, 
and  other  friends  were  making  efforts  to  induce  the 
king  of  Prussia  to  set  him  free,  and  forming  plans 
for  his  escape ;  but  both  were  matters  of  great  diffi- 
culty, and  not  to  be  thoughtlessly  undertaken. 

In  January,  1794,  he  was  much  troubled  by  a  new 
separation  from  his  friends.  He  Avas  sent  to  Neisse, 
on  the  borders  of  Silesia,  and  Maubourg  to  Glatz, 
not  very  far  distant,  while  Lameth  and  Pusy  re- 
mained at  Magdebourg.  It  added  greatly  to  his 
anxiety  to  be  sent  a  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  farther 


AGE    36.]  LAFAYETTE.  155 

from  France ;  but  immediately  on  arriving  he  ob- 
tained leave  to  write  to  bis  friends,  and  assured  them 
that  they  need  feel  no  additional  anxiety  on  account 
of  the  change,  as  his  treatment  was  almost  exactly 
the  same. 

In  March  he  wrote  to  his  friend  Maubourg,  at 
Glatz :  "  So  your  sister*  is  established  in  the  vaults 
of  Glatz.  I  have  not  been  favored  in  my  dungeons 
with  •  any  apparition,  but  I  imagine  that  consoling 
angels  must  have  faces  like  hers."  Maubourg  and 
Pusy  rejoined  him  at  Neisse,  and  for  a  little  while 
they  were  allowed  to  see  each  other  and  Madame  de 
Maison-Neuve. 

In  May  all  three  were  transferred  to  Olmutz,  in 
Austria,  where  they  were  again  separated.  Each 
one  was  told,  on  entering  his  cell,  that  "  he  would  for 
the  future  see  only  his  four  walls,  that  he  would 
never  hear  any  news  from  any  person,  that  even  the 
jailers  were  forbidden  to  pronounce  his  name,  and  in 
the  despatches  sent  to  court  he  would  be  mentioned 
only  by  his  number;  that  he  would  never  know 
anything  about  the  existence  of  his  family  or  of  his 
two  companions,  and  that,  as  such  a  condition  led 
them  to  think  of  killing  themselves,  knives,  forks, 

*  Madame 'de  Maison-Neuve. 
11 


156  LAFAYETTE.  [  179-1. 

and  other  articles,  were  forbidden.  They  were  also 
deprived  of  some  things  the  Prussians  had  left  them, 
viz.  their  watches,  their  knee  and  stock  buckles,  and 
some  books  in  which  the  word  liberty  was  found. 

Lafayette  again  became  ill,  and  the  physician 
represented  that  air  was  necessary  for  him.  Three 
times  the  answer  was  sent,  that  "  he  was  not  yet  ill 
enough,"  before  he  was  allowed  to  walk. 

This  permission  encouraged  two  friends  of  his.  to 
attempt  to  rescue  him. 

These  friends  were  Dr.  Bollman,  a  physician  of 
Hanover,  who  entered  into  the  scheme  from  pure 
enthusiasm  for  Lafayette's  character,  and  had  never 
seen  him  until  he  came  to  Ohnutz  to  arrange  plans. 
The  other  was  a  young  American,  Mr.  Huger  of 
South  Carolina,  son  of  the  officer  at  whose  house 
"the  Marquis"  landed  in  1778. 

On  the  8th  of  November,  Lafayette  drove  out 
in  company  with  the  jailer.  He  got  rid  of  the 
soldiers  of  his  escort  by  giving  them  a  commission 
and  some  money,  so  that  they  went  to  drink  at  a 
neighboring  wine-shop.  Then  he  left  the  carnage, 
and  while  walking  with  the  jailer  asked  him  to  let 
him  examine  his  sabre,  and  attempted  to  seize  it. 
While  they  were  struggling  together,  Bollman  and 
Huger.    who   had    watched  for  this   moment,   came 


AGE    37.]  LAFAYETTE.  157 

running  up,  unci  showed  a  pistol.  The  jailer  let  go 
his  hold,  but  immediately  ran  off  for  help.  Lafay- 
ette's deliverers  mounted  him  on  one  of  the  two 
horses  they  had  brought,  but  he  would  not  ride  away 
until  he  saw  that  they  had  the  other.  Dr.  Bollman 
had  said  to  him,  "  Get  to  Hoff!"  but  Lafayette,  not 
knowing  that  there  was  such  a  town,  understood  him 
to  say  merely  "  Get  off! "  He  missed  his  way, 
and,  being  uneasy  as  to  the  fate  of  his  friends,  turned 
back,  but  as  he  saw  pursuers  in  the  distance,  again 
resumed  his  road. 

In  the  struggle  with  the  jailer  he  had  got  a  severe 
strain,  and  had  the  flesh  torn  off  his  finger,  laying  it 
open  to  the  bone ;  he  was  covered  with  mud  and 
blood,  his  dress  was  out  of  order,  —  altogether,  he 
was  a  strange  figure  to  be  met  with  as  a  traveller. 
Dr.  Bollman  had  provided  fresh  horses  on  the  road 
which  he  himself  took ;  but  he  was  able  to  reach  it 
only  in  consequence  of  the  generous  devotion  of  Mr. 
Huger,  who  gave  himself  up  to  the  first  party  of 
pursuers,  hoping  thereby  to  gain  time  for  the  others. 
All  was  in  vain ;  Lafayette  was  arrested  at  Stern- 
berg, about  eight  leagues  from  Olmutz,  and  Dr. 
Bollman  in  Prussia,  after  he  had  crossed  the  Aus- 
trian  frontier.       Both    Bollman    and    Hujrer   were 


158  LAFAYETTE.  [l794. 

imprisoned,  and  kept  chained  in  their  cells  for 
six  months ;  and,  in  addition  to  all  his  other  troubles, 
Lafayette  had  the  pain  of  dreading  what  those  gen- 
erous friends  might  suffer  for  his  sake.  The  general 
informed  him  that  they  would  be  hung  before  his 
window. 

He  became  very  ill  again,  but  was  left  for  nights 
fourteen  hours  long  without  any  help  at  all,  and  at 
first  without  a  light,  —  afterwards  he  was  allowed  lo 
burn  one  until  nine  o'clock ;  he  had  but  two  shirts, 
and  could  not  procure  another  for  a  change ;  and  the 
surgeon  who  dressed  his  finger  was  hurried  all  the 
time  by  an  officer,  and  hardly  dared  to  talk  to  him. 

At  this  time,  Felix,  the  secretary,  invented  a  very 
ingenious  mode  of  communication,  by  means  of 
musical  airs  which  he  and  the  servant  of  M.  Mau- 
bourg  whistled  to  each  other.  They  learned  to  tell 
each  other  and  all  the  prisoners  news  by  different 
sounds,  and  Lafayette's  heart  was  rejoiced  by  at  last 
hearing  that  his  wife  and  children  were  alive.  This 
he  would  not  have  known,  but  that  his  wife  was 
mentioned  under  another  name  in  a  letter  to  M. 
Maubourg.  Whenever  her  name  was  seen,  the 
letter  was  kept  back,  for  the  Austrian  government 
seem  to  have  taken  the  greatest  pains  to  torture 
Lafayette  on  this  point. 


y^mita—^n^  -»  


Lafayette  receives  HsWit'e  andDaughters  in  the  Prison  at  Olmuta . 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

THE   FAMILY   AT   OLMUTZ. 

For  this  very  reason,  Lafayette  must  have  felt 
the  most  intense  delight  when  in  October,  1795,  he 
saw  his  wife  and  his  two  daughters  enter  his  cell. 
Madame  de  Lafayette's  devotion  had  overcome  all 
the  obstacles  which  parted  them,  and  in  each  other's 
company  they  felt  strong  to  bear  any  trials  that 
might  lie  before  them. 

Having  procured  a  passport  as  an  American  lady, 
she  had  left  France  for  Hamburg,  and  gone  thence 
to  Vienna.  There  Prince  Rosemburg,  who  had 
known,  her  family,  procured  for  her  an  interview 
with  the  Emperor  of  Austria.  All  she  asked  of  him 
was  permission  to  share  her  husband's  imprisonment, 
which  he  very  politely  granted.  He  told  her  that 
Lafayette  was  very  well  treated,  and  that  his  family's 
presence  would  be  one  comfort  the  more. 


160  LAFAYETTE.  [l795. 

She  was  therefore  much  shocked  at  the  strictness 
of  his  confinement,  and  at  his  extreme  thinness  and 
paleness.  She  shared  fully  in  all  his  privations,  and 
was  not  treated  with  any  difference  even  the  first 
day  of  her  arrival.  The  purses  were  immediately 
asked  for,  and  three  silver  forks  found  among  the 
luggage  were  eagerly  seized.  Not  being  satisfied 
with  this  system,  Madame  Lafayette  asked  to  see 
the  commandant.  That  was  impossible,  but  she 
might  write  to  him.  Receiving  no  answer,  she  wished 
to  write  to  the  Emperor,  who  had  given  her  leave 
to  do  so ;  that  also  was  objected  to,  and  she  was  told 
that  her  requests  addressed  to  the  commandant  had 
been  forwarded  to  Vienna.  She  had  asked  to  be 
allowed  to  go  to  mass  on  Sundays  with  her  daughters, 
to  have  a  soldier's  wife  take  care  of  their  room, 
and  to  be  waited  on  at  table  by  Lafayette's  servants. 
No  answer  ever  came.  A  second  appeal  to  the 
Minister  of  War,  joined  with  a  request  to  see 
Maubourg  and  Pusy,  was  refused  by  him. 

In  February  her  own  health  was  so  much  affected 
by  all  she  had  endured,  that  she  applied  to  the 
Emperor  himself  for  permission  to  spend  a  few  days 
at  Vienna,  in  order  to  consult  a  physician.  After  a 
delay  of  almost  two  months,  she  was  informed  that 


AGE    38.]  LAFAYETTE.  1G1 

if  she  left  the  prison  at  all,  she  could  never  come 
back.     She  instantly  decided  to  remain  at  all  risks. 

This  was  the  manner  of  living.  The  family  took 
their  daily  meals  together.  After  breakfast,  the 
mother  and  daughters  were  locked  up  in  their  cell 
until  noon ;  but  between  dinner  and  supper  they 
remained  in  Lafayette's.  At  eight  o'clock  they  were 
separated  for  the  night. 

The  physician  who  visited  them  knew  not  one 
word  of  French.  Lafayette  translated  for  the  ladies 
into  Latin,  in  presence  of  an  officer  who  understood  it. 

This  life,  and  more  hardships  probably  than  have 
ever  been  made  known,  these  ladies  endured  cheer- 
fully, seeing  that  Lafayette  was  in  better  health  and 
spirits  since  they  were  with  him.  The  daughters 
employed  themselves  with  studies,  work,  and  draw- 
ing, everything  which  their  situation  allowed,  to  vary 
the  days,  and  fortunately  they  had  good  health. 
But  it  is  a  great  strain  on  the  spirits  of  even  the 
youngest  and  gayest  people  to  lead  such  a  life  month 
after  month. 

Madame  Lafayette  had  many  a  melancholy  story 
to  tell  of  the  events  that  had  taken  place  in  France. 
Immediately  after  her  husband's  departure  she  had 
been  imprisoned,  but  was  soon  released  and  allowed 


162  LAFAYETTE.  [l796. 

to  live  at  Chavaniac,  on  her  parole,  —  that  is,  her 
word  of  honor  not  to  leave  the  place.  In  a  year, 
however,  October,  1793,  she  was  again  imprisoned, 
and  taken  to  Paris  the  next  June.  She  was  detained 
there  during  what  was  called  the  Reign  of  Terror, 
when  her  grandmother,  mother,  and  sister  were  all 
beheaded.  Nothing  can  be  imagined  more  horrible 
than  the  manner  in  which  innocent  people  were 
carried  before  a  judge,  who  was  no  real  judge ;  a  few 
questions  were  asked,  the  answers  hardly  listened  to, 
and  the  victims  were  hurried  off  to  be  killed.  Any 
excuse  was  enough  for  arresting  them.  They  might 
have  been  of  high  rank,  or  the  friends  of  aristocrats, 
—  they  might  have  money,  or  merely  be  supposed  to 
have  it.  Nothing  would  save  them ;  neither  rank, 
beauty,  talents,  innocence,  goodness,  age,  or  sex  was 
any  protection.  "  Blood ! "  was  the  cry  of  the  men 
who  had  power  in  Paris. 

Lafayette  found  that  he  had  lost  many  dear  friends 
and  more  acquaintances  during  this  time.  It  was 
also  a  bitter  grief  to  him  to  see  that  the  Revolution 
had  come  to  such  an  end.  The  hopes  and  the  labors 
of  so  many  patriots  seemed  to  be  blotted  out. 

During  these  melancholy  months  Lafayette's 
friends  were  not  idle.     In  England  speeches  were 


AGE    39.]  LAFAYETTE.  163 

made  in  the  House  of  Commons,*  asking  the  Minis- 
ters to  interfere ;  President  Washington  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  in  behalf  of  Ins 
friend ;  and  the  success  of  the  French  army  encour- 
aged his  relations  in  France  to  hope  that  the  generals 
might  at  last  be  in  a  position  to  demand  the  release 
of  their  countrymen. 

This  took  place  at  last.  The  French  government 
—  a  Directory,  as  it  was  called,  of  five  persons  —  de- 
sired Generals  Bonaparte  and  Clark  to  insist  on  their 
being  set  free.  It  took  five  months  of  exchanging 
letters,  &c,  to  induce  the  Austrian  government  to 
give  them  up. 

Before  they  left  Olmutz,  and  while  this  arrange- 
was  going  on,  a  nobleman  was  sent  to  visit  Lafayette 
and  his  friends,  and  to  require  from  them  a  promise 
that  they  would  never  again  enter  Austria. 

They  drew  up  a  paper  in  answer,  in  which  they 
denied  the  Emperor's  right  to  ask  such  a  promise. 
They  certainly  had  no  wish  ever  again  to  set  foot  on 
Austrian  ground ;  but  they  would  not  engage  to  stay 
away  if  the  service  of  France  should  require  them 
to  come  within  its  lhnits.  Nor  would  Lafayette  bind 
himself  by  a  promise  to  go  to  America,  although  he 

*  Somewhat  like  our  Hoi;se  of  Eepresentatives,  at  Washington. 


104  LAFAYETTE.  [l798. 

had  formed  such  a  plan  many  and  many  a  time 
during  his  imprisonment.  He  had  said  in  one  of  his 
letters,  "  The  Huron  and  Iroquois  forests  are  peopled 
with  my  friends ;  the  despots  of  Europe  and  their 
courts  are  tne  savages  for  me." 

On  the  19th  of  September,  1797,  the  prisoners  of 
Olmutz  were  set  free.  Probably  we  cannot  imagine 
the  delight  with  which  they  saw  again  the  sky,  the 
earth,  the  very  road  they  travelled  which  took  them 
out  of  Austria.  In  the  first  safe  place,  the  families 
of  Messieurs  Maubourg  and  Pusy  met  them.  The 
journey  was  a  slow  one  on  account  of  Madame 
Lafayette's  health,  which  was  much  injured  by  living 
in  two  prisons.  They  were  ordered  to  go  to  Ham- 
burg, and  although  out  of  Austria,  the  prisoners  did 
not  yet  feel  free  to  return  home.  They  did  not  agree 
in  politics  with  those  who  governed  France,  and  chose 
Denmark  as  a  safe  place,  and  one  near  their  own 
country. 

Lafayette  found  and  felt  that  he  had  come  back  to 
a  changed  world.  The  King,  Queen,  Court,  Assem- 
bly, and  Constitution,  were  all  gone !  The  places  of 
the  Avise  and  good  who  had  been  killed  in  the  Reign 
of  Terror  seemed  empty  still  to  him.  A  new  consti- 
tution had  been  made,  which  satisfied  him  in  some 


AGE    40.]  LAFAYETTE.  165 

respects  better  than  that  of  1791.  But  the  govern- 
ment was  in  the  hands  of  five  directors  with  whom 
he  had  no  sympathy,  and  he  found  that  even  his 
manner  of  returning  thanks  for  his  release  gave 
offence.  He  wrote  to  a  friend  who  had  cautioned 
him  as  to  the  free  expression  of  his  opinions,  after 
speaking  of  being  unfit  to  join  any  party  :  "  Thus  I 
risk  nothing  in  speaking  as  I  think,  because  I  would 
not  and  could  not  be  employed,  except  according  to 
my  own  ideas.  The  result  is,  that  except  on  some 
very  great  occasion  of  serving  the  liberty  of  my 
country  after  my  own  fashion,  my  political  life  is 
ended.  To  my  friends  I  shall  be  full  of  life,  and  to 
the  public  a  sort  of  picture  in  a  museum  or  book  in 
a  library."  And  in  a  later  letter  he  says :  "  Those 
who  know  my  views  and  wishes  must  be  convinced 
that  the  services  I  should  wish  to  render  to  my  coun- 
try are  of  a  nature  to  be  combined  with  the  mode  of 
living  which  suits  my  position,  my  wife,  all  my 
family,  and  myself;  that  is  to  say,  with  a  quiet  philos- 
opher's establishment  on  a  good  farm,  —  far  enough 
from  the  capital  not  to  be  interfered  with  in  my 
solitude,  and  to  see  only  intimate  friends." 

Lafayette  established  himself  at  a  country-house 
near  the  little  town  of  Ploen,  in  Holstein.  Here  he 
lived  quietly  with  the  family  of  his  friend  M.  Mau- 


166  LAFAYETTE.  [l799. 

bourg,  whose  brother,  M.  Charles  Latour  Maubourg, 
soon  after  married  the  eldest  Mademoiselle  Lafayette. 
He  received  and  wrote  many  letters,  and  occupied 
himself  with  plans  of  a  book  on  the  French  Revolu- 
tion, to  be  written  by  himself  and  his  friends.  Gar- 
dening was  also  an  amusement,  and  he  studied  books 
on  farming  with  as  much  zeal  as  he  had  given  in  his 
youth  to  those  on  the  art  of  war.  Absence  from  his 
own  country  and  Madame  Lafayette's  ill-health  were 
the  chief  drawbacks  to  his  happiness. 

But  he  could  hardly  believe  that  he  was  destined 
to  be  a  mere  looker-on  while  the  French  army  was 
winning  the  most  brilliant  victories  everywhere ;  and 
he  was  proud  of  its  glory,  for  there  could  not  be  a 
more  devoted  Frenchman  than  Lafayette.  His  heart 
was  open  to  all  who  were  striving  to  be  free  in  every 
country,  but  France  was  always  dear.  He  some- 
times thought  of  going  to  the  United  States,  but 
could  not  resolve  to  make  his  home  so  far  from  his 
native  land.  And  his  position  in  America  would  not 
have  been  a  comfortable  one,  for  some  difficulties 
had  arisen  between  the  United  States  and  the  French 
government,  and  in  case  of  war  Lafayette  could  not 
have  joined  either  side. 

Early  in  the  year  1799,  he  removed  from  Holstein 
to  Vianen,  near  Utrecht.     "War  was  raging  in  almost 


AGE   42.]  LAFAYETTE.  167 

every  country  in  Europe,  and  he  preferred  •  living  in 
Holland,  which  brought  him  a  little  nearer  France. 
During  his  wife's  absence,*  he  wrote  thus  to  her: 
"  Yesterday  and  to-day,  George  f  and  I  have  been 
arranging  a  farm  for  you,  either  in  the  beautiful  val- 
ley of  the  Shenandoah,  in  the  State  of  Virginia,  not 
far  from  Federal  City  and  even  Mount  Vernon ;  or 
in  the  lovely  fields  of  New  England,  within  reach 
of  the  town  of  Boston,  for  which  you  know  my 
fancy.  I  do  not  conceal  from  myself,  dear  Adrienne, 
the  fact  that  I,  who  complain  of  the  serfs  of  Holstein 
as  a  sad  surrounding  for  a  friend  of  liberty,  should 
find  negro  slaves  in  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah ; 
for,  if  in  the  Northern  States  there  is  equality  for 
all,  in  the  Southern  it  exists  only  for  the  whites.  It 
is  true  that,  with  our  ideas  of  Cayenne,!  we  might 

*  She  had  gone  to  Paris,  hoping  to  save  some  of  the  property 
of  her  family,  taken  from  them  during  the  Eeign  of  Terror. 

f  George  Washington  Lafayette,  his  only  son,  now  nearly 
twenty  years  old.  He  had  spent  two  years  in  the  United  States, 
chiefly  under  General  "Washington's  care,  while  the  rest  of  the 
family  were  at  Ohnutz. 

%  Lafayette's  plantation,  on  which  he  had  hoped  to  educate 
slaves  was  at  Cayenne.  In  spite  of  his  wife's  efforts,  they  were 
sold,  by  order  of  his  enemies,  in  August,  1792.  All  slaves  in 
French  colonies  were,  however,  set  free  in  1794. 


168  LAFAYETTE.  [l799. 

console  ourselves  somewhat.  I  should,  however,  pre- 
fer New  England,  and  at  the  same  time  I  feel  all  the 
reasons  which  ought  to  draw  us  near  Mount  Vernon 
and  the  seat  of  government.  But  we  only  want  the 
first  dollar  to  buy  our  farm  with." 

Young  Lafayette  joined  the  French  army  in  Hol- 
land this  year.  It  was  a  singular  state  of  things  for 
the  father  to  be  unable  to  enter  his  native  country 
while  the  son  was  fighting  her  battles !  Lafayette, 
however,  had  agreed  to  his  taking  part  in  this  cam- 
paign the  more  readily  because  he  hoped  and  be- 
lieved that  a  change  in  the  French  government  was 
at  hand.  He  sent  letters  and  messages  to  Paris,  but 
there  seemed  to  be  no  oi^ening  for  him. 

Another  star  was  rising  over  the  French  nation, 
which  dazzled  their  eyes  with  its  brilliancy;  fame 
and  glory  in  war  were  now  desired,  and  the  men 
and  services  of  1789  were  forgotten.  Napoleon 
Bonaparte,  by  his  extraordinary  military  talents,  had 
put  himself  in  a  position  to  govern  France.  In 
December,  1799,  he  caused  a  new  constitution  to  be 
proclaimed,  by  which  he  secured  great  power.  His 
title  was  simply  First  Consul,  but  he  might  have 
been  called  King. 

Lafayette  hastened  to  Paris,   on   hearing  of  this 


AGE    42.]  LAFAYETTE.  169 

change.  His  friends  were  somewhat  alarmed  to  see 
him  there,  and  thought  the  First  Consul  was  not  at 
all  pleased  at  his  speedy  arrival.  He  received  a 
message  from  Bonaparte,  through  Madame  Lafay- 
ette, recommending  a  very  quiet  life,  which  he  had 
always  intended  to  lead. 

The  family  were  soon  established  at  Lagrange,  an 
estate  inherited  by  Madame  Lafayette,  about  four- 
teen leagues  from  Paris.  It  was  their  home  for  the 
rest  of  Lafayette's  life,  and  a  very  happy  one.  His 
children  remained  there  after  their  marriages,  *  and 
during  his  son's  frequent  absence  with  the  ai'my  he 
had  the  pleasure  of  keeping  with  him  his  daughter- 
in-law  and  grandchildren.  He  particularly  enjoyed 
seeing  his  friends  about  him  after  his  long  separation 
from  them,  and  though  his  manner  of  living  was  sim- 
ple, both  Frenchmen  and  foreigners  found  a  most 
cordial  welcome  at  Lagrange. 

The  estate  was  large  enough  for  him  to  employ 
himself  with  experiments  in  farming,  and  to  put  in 
practice  what  he  had  learned  and  observed  in  Hol- 
stein  and  Holland. 

*  M.  George  Lafayette  married  a  Mdlle  de  Tracy,  daughter 
of  an  old  friend  of  Lafayette,  both  politically  and  in  private. 
The  youngest  Mdlle  Lafayette  married  M.  Louis  Lasteyrie. 


CHAPTER    XV. 


FRANCE  MUCH  CHANGED. 


Shortly  after  his  return  to  France,  Lafayette 
received  the  painful  news  of  General  "Washington's 
death.  It  was  an  unexpected  grief  and  a  disappoint- 
ment, for  through  all  his  trials  Lafayette  had  cher- 
ished the  hope  of  future  visits  to  the  United  States 
and  Mount  Vernon. 

He  wrote  immediately  to  the  family,  and  their  an- 
swers were  accompanied  hy  a  pair  of  pistols,  which 
the  General  had  left  him  in  his  will. 

Washington's  influence  seems  almost  to  have 
formed  Lafayette's  political  character.  Without 
knowing  him,  the  young  Marquis  had  the  greatest 
enthusiasm  for  liberty,  and  wished  to  help  all  who 
would  be  free ;  but  he  learned  from  the  Father  of 
our  Country  that  steady  respect  for  law,  and  desire 
to  strengthen  the  foundations  of  government,  which 


AGE    43.]  LAFAYETTE.  171 

distinguished  Lafayette  from  both  friends  and  ene- 
mies during  the  stormy  scenes  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution. He  could  not  convince  his  countrymen  of 
the  wisdom  of  his  views;  the  Constitution  of  1791, 
which  he  liked,  was  destroyed  in  less  than  a  year 
by  the  Jacobins  ;  —  but  we  need  not  judge  him  very 
hardly  for  having  thought  the  French  more  fit  for 
liberty  than  they  really  were.  And  considering  how 
many  enemies  he  had,  it  is  only  wonderful  that  he 
kept  his  popularity  as  long  as  he  did.  Perhaps,  if 
there  had  been  no  court  to  thwart  him  in  everything, 
the  nation  might  have  been  controlled  under  his  con- 
stitution. 

In  the  summer  of  1800,  Lafayette  and  Maubourg 
were  presented  to  the  First  Consul,  at  the  Tuileries.* 
He  received  them  with  great  politeness,  and  they 
added  to  their  expressions  of  gratitude  many  compli- 
ments on  the  Italian  campaign,  from  which  he  had 
just  returned. 

He  seemed  to  like  talking  with  Lafayette,  asked 
some  questions  about  America,  and  often  discussed 
with  him  the  state  of  Europe.  One  day  he  said  to 
him  that  he  "must  have  found  the   French  much 

*  Where  he  had  so  often  seen  Louis  XVI.  and  Marie  An- 
toinette. 

12 


172  LAFAYETTE.  [1800. 

cooled  on  the  subject  of  liberty."  "Yes,"  replied 
Lafayette,  '"but  they  arc  in  a  state  to  receive  it." 
"They  are  disgusted,"  answered  the  First  Consul; 
"  your  Parisians,  for  instance,  the  shopkeepers,  —  O, 
they  want  no  more  of  it !  "  Lafayette  repeated  his 
former  words,  and  added,  "  I  did  not  use  the  expres- 
sion lightly,  General ;  I  am  not  ignorant  of  the  effect 
of  the  follies  and  crimes  which  have  defiled  the  name 
of  liberty ;  but  the  French  are  perhaps  more  than 
ever  in  a  state  to  receive  it.  It  is  for  you  to  give 
it ;  from  you  they  await  it." 

Several  proposals  were  made  to  Lafayette,  about 
this  time,  to  be  a  Senator,  or  to  hold  some  office,  but 
he  declined.  Bonaparte,  notwithstanding,  had  the 
kindness  to  procure  leave  for  some  of  Lafayette's 
friends  to  return  to  France  and  regain  their  j>rop- 
erty.*  But  all  friendly  intercourse  between  them 
came  to  an  end  in  1802,  when  a  decree  was  passed 
declaring  Napoleon  First  Consul  for  life. 

Lafayette  would  have  been  very  ready  to  vote  for 
this  appointment,  if  the  liberty  of  the  people  had 
been  first  secured ;  but  he  was  not  willing  to  have 
such  an  office  bestowed  on  any  man,  unless  the  gov- 

fk  Emigrants  were  forbidden  to  come  back,  and  deprived  of 
their  property. 


AGE   45.]  LAFAYETTE.  173 

eminent  were  a  remarkably  free  one.*  He  felt  so 
grateful  to  Bonaparte  that  lie  was  very  unwilling  to 
offend  him,  but  he  could  not  desert  the  principles 
which  had  always  governed  his  actions.  He  Avrote 
to  the  First  Consul,  explaining  his  motives,  but  no 
answer  was  ever  returned. 

His  son  felt  the  full  force  of  Bonaparte's  displeas- 
ure, for  his  promotion  in  the  army  was  stopped, 
although  two  or  three  gallant  acts  ought  to  have 
been  rewarded. 

A  fall  on  the  ice,  about  the  end  of  the  year  1802, 
deprived  Lafayette  for  a  long  time  of  his  usual  out- 
of-door  pleasures.  He  broke  the  thigh-bone,  and,  in 
order  to  avoid  lameness,  went  through  a  terrible  pro- 
cess of  having  his  leg  stretched  in  a  frame.  It  was 
kept  on  for  forty  days  and  nights,  and  caused  the 
greatest  suffering,  which  he  bore  so  bravely  that  the 
surgeons  never  suspected  the  mischief  it  was  doing. 
When  it  was  taken  off,  they  were  shocked  to  see  the 
effects  of  such  pressure  on  the  muscles  and  blood- 
vessels about  the   thigh.     The   tendons   of  the  foot 

*  One  of  his  German  friends,  Klopstock,  the  poet,  said,  soon  . 
after  he  came  from  Olmutz:  "  General  Lafayette's  character  pre- 
vents him  from  understanding  his  countrymen.     How  can  he 
think  them  capable  of  haying  free  institutions?  " 


174  LAFAYETTE.  [lS03. 

were  also  injured,  and  many  months  passed  before 
the  wounds  inflicted  by  the  machine  were  cured; 
but  Lafayette  was  always  glad  that  he  had  tried  that 
system,  because  lameness  would  have  interfered  so 
much  with  his  exercise. 

The  accident  happened  in  Paris,  and  during  the 
weeks  that  he  was  shut  up  by  it  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  receiving  many  kind  visits  and  messages  of  in- 
quiry from  both  old  friends  and  new,  generals  and 
senators.  People  showed  the  differences  in  their 
political  opinions  by  the  manner  in  which  they  came 
themselves  to  the  house,  or  sent  their  servants,  or 
inquired  from  others.  The  Americans  in  Paris  did 
not  fail  in  their  attentions. 

In  1803  an  arrangement  was  made  between 
France  and  the  United  States  by  which  Louisiana 
was  bought  by  the  republic.  President  Jefferson, 
with  whom  Lafayette  kept  up  a  regular  correspond- 
ence, proposed  to  him  to  become  the  governor  of 
the  new  territory,  and  suggested  that  he  would  be 
both  useful  and  happy  in  reconciling  the  French  set- 
tlers to  the  American  government.  The  land  allotted 
to  him,  as  a  former  major-general  in  the  American 
army,  was  selected  from  the  rich  fields  of  Louisiana. 

But  the  project  does  not  seem  to  have  tempted 


AGE    46.]  LAFAYETTE.  175 

Lafayette.  Much  as  lie  loved  America,  his  native 
country  was  dearer  still,  and  he  could  not  give  up 
the  hope  that  he  might  yet  serve  the  cause  of  liberty 
in  France :  if  not  in  action,  at  least  by  his  character 
and  example. 

Bonaparte's  power  seemed  a  perfect  barrier  to 
Lafayette's  wishes.  The  army  was  devoted  to  him, 
and  France  parted  cheerfully  with  immense  sums 
of  money,  and  with  the  young  men,  the  hope  of  the 
nation,  who  fell  by  thousands,  on  his  battle-fields. 
The  victories  were  wonderful,  and  even  Lafayette 
watched  with  enthusiasm  the  progress  of  the  armies, 
though  he  entirely  disapproved  of  the  spirit  of  the 
government. 

In  1804  the  First  Consul  was  crowned  Emperor, 
and  all  the  kings  in  Europe  courted  his  favor.  But 
there  was  still  one  old  republican  whom  all  his  power 
could  not  move  from  the  fixed  opinions  of  thirty, 
years.  The  Emperor  said,  one  day,  to  his  Council : 
"  Gentlemen,  I  know  your  devotion  to  the  power  of 
the  throne.  Every  one  in  France  is  corrected;  I 
was  thinking  of  the  only  man  who  is  not,  —  Lafay- 
ette. He  has  never  retreated  from  his  line.  You 
see  him  quiet,  but  I  tell  you  he  is  quite  ready  to 
begin  again. 


176  LAFAYETTE.  [l808. 

The  close  of  the  year  1807  was  mai'ked  by  the 
greatest  of  sorrows  for  Lafayette,  the  death  of  his 
wife.  He  wrote  thus  of  her  to  his  friend  Maubourg: 
"  During  the  thirty -four  years  of  an  union  in  which 
her  tenderness,  her  kindness,  the  delicacy  and  gen- 
erosity of  her  soul  charmed,  adorned,  and  honored 
my  life,  I  was  so  accustomed  to  all  she  was  to  me 
that  I  did  not  distinguish  it  from  my  own  existence. 

You  know  as  well  as  I  all  she  was,  all  she 

did  during  the  Revolution.  It  is  not  for  coming  to 
Olmutz,  as  Charles  Fox  said,  '  on  the  wings  of  love 
and  duty,'  that  I  praise  her  here;  but  for  having 
waited  to  secure,  as  far  as  it  lay  with  her,  the  well- 
being  of  my  aunt  and  the  rights  of  our  creditors,  — 
for  having  had  the  courage  to  send  George  to 
America.  What  a  generous  imprudence  it  was  to  be 
almost  the  only  woman  in  France  compromised  by 
her  name  who  would  not  change  it !  *  Every  one 
of  her  petitions  began  with  these  words,  '  the  wife 

of  Lafayette.' But  we    have  all   seen   this 

woman,  so  lofty  and  brave  in  great  circumstances, 
as  gentle,  simple,  and  easy,  in  the  common  inter- 
course of  life." 

*  Most  of  the  wives  of  emigrants  went  through  a  form  of 
divorce  from  their  husbands,  in  order  to  save  a  portion  of  their 
property. 


AGE    57.]  LAFAYETTE.  177 

His  grief  for  his  wife's  death  was  moderated  by 
the  recollection  of  her  sufferings  from  ill-health,  and 
by  the  love  and  sympathy  of  his  children.  Her 
room  at  Lagrange  was  always  kept  sacred,  and 
Lafayette,  every  morning  of  his  life  spent  a  few 
minutes  in  looking  at  her  miniature.  There  was  no 
part  of  his  life,  private  or  public,  in  which  she  had  not 
sympathized  with  him.  But  in  the  bitterest  days  of 
political  strife  she  had  never  been  heard  to  utter  a 
harsh  word,  although  she  had  missed  no  opportunity 
of  defending  her  husband. 

She  was  a  truly  religious  person,  and  her  rever- 
ence, joined  with  great  sweetness  and  kindness,  seemed 
to  set  her  apart  from  earthly  passions.  She  was 
almost  worshipped  at  Lagrange,  and  left  a  bright 
example,  which  her  daughters  and  her  son's  wife 
endeavored  to  follow  in  her  home. 

Bonaparte's  career  after  his  coronation  was  still 
wonderfully  successful.  The  first  disappointment 
was  his  invasion  of  Russia,  in  1812.  The  Russians 
defended  their  country  obstinately,  and  the  French 
army  suffered  terribly  during  its  retreat  from  cold,  as 
well  as  the  usual  distresses  of  an  unsuccessful  army 
in  an  enemy's  country.  Prussia  joined  Russia  and 
England  against  him,  and  the  battles  were  doubtful, 


178  LAFAYETTE.  [l814. 

instead  of  being  certain  victories  for  the  French. 
Twice  they  tried  to  settle  matters  by  agreement,  but 
Napoleon's  pride  and  confidence  were  not  yet  shaken. 
Austria  joined  the  Allies,  they  entered  France,  and, 
in  spite  of  some  successes  on  Napoleon's  side,  the 
city  of  Paris  was  surrendered  to  them  in  March, 
1814. 

The  Emperor  had  Avorn  out  both  power  and  popu- 
larity. He  had  governed  kings,  and  had  flattered 
French  ambition  and  love  of  glory ;  but  the  desire  to 
rule  over  every  one  had  become  a  passion  with  him, 
and  he  had  indulged  it  until  French  blood  had 
watered  the  plains  of  Europe,  and  the  nation  had 
nothing  more  to  give.  He  was  now  reduced  to 
ruling  over  the  little  island  of  Elba,  which  was  given 
to  him  by  the  Allies. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1814,  Bonaparte  left  Fon- 
tainebleau.*  The  allied  sovereigns,  the  Emperors  of 
Russia  and  Austria,  and  the  King  of  Prussia,  de- 
cided to  recall  to  France  and  place  upon  the  throne 
the  brother  of  Louis  the  Sixteenth,  under  the  name 
of  Louis  the  Eighteenth.  The  poor  little  Dauphin, 
who  had  died  in  prison,  was  counted  as  Louis  the 
Seventeenth. 

*  A  country  palace,  near  Paris. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

A  NEW  KING  OF   FRANCE. 

In  spite  of  all  the  opposition  he  had  met  with  from 
this  family,  the  feelings  of  his  youth  revived  again 
in  Lafayette's  heart,  and  he  was  glad  to  see  the 
king  and  his  brother,  the  Count  d'Artois,  once  more. 
The  recollection  of  Louis  the  Sixteenth's  sorrows 
and  death  no  doubt  touched  him  ;  but  the  feeling  of 
loyalty  to  the  royal  family  is  stronger  in  people 
who  live  under  a  king  than  we  Americans  can 
imagine. 

He,  however,  did  nothing  but  pay  his  respects 
once  at  the  palace.  The  court  was  composed  of 
people  with  whom  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  have 
any  connection.  The  princes  soon  proved  that  dur- 
ing then-  long  absence  they  had  "learned  nothing 
and  forgotten  nothing."  Their  whole  desire  was  to 
restore  France  to  its  ancient  condition.  They  were, 
however,  obliged  to  agree  to  a  charter  which  secured 


180  LAFAYETTE.  [l815. 

certain  conditions  to  the  common  people.  They  gave 
up,  much  to  the  regret  of  the  nation,  a  great  many- 
forts,  guns,  and  other  things  gained  in  Napoleon's 
campaigns,  and  they  seemed  in  many  ways  to  have 
more  feeling  for  the  crowned  heads  who  had  assist- 
ed them  than  for  the  French  people.  They  did 
nothing,  either,  for  military  glory ;  and  the  French, 
who  had  enjoyed  the  idea  that  their  Emperor  set 
kings  upon  half  the  thrones  of  Europe,  and  had 
welcomed  back  the  victor  of  many  a  campaign, 
found  it  dull  to  see,  on  public  days,  a  gouty  old 
gentleman,  who  sat  in  an  arm-chair  at  parade,  and 
had  nothing  to  say  to  them  but,  k>  I  am  pleased,  very 
well  pleased." 

Notwithstanding  all  these  objections,  however, 
Lafayette  preferred  this  form  of  government  to 
the  Empire,  and  was  sorry  to  hear  of  Bona- 
parte's escape  from  Elba  and  landing  at  Cannes, 
in  the  south  of  France,  on  the  1st  of  March, 
1815. 

He  had  been  for  a  little  time  in  Paris,  and  found 
that  the  king  was  now  only  ready  to  make  some 
efforts  to  please  the  people.  Lafayette's  friends  hoped 
to  gain  something  for  the  cause  of  liberty  by  taking 
the  royal  side ;  but  he  had  seen   too  much  of  the 


AGE    57.]  LAFAYETTE.  181 

obstinacy    and   slowness  of  that  party,  to  have  any 
hope  of  working  with  it.* 

The  National  Guard  of  Paris  was  ready  to  pro- 
tect the  Tuileries,  and  a  great  many  people  who  had 
deserted  Napoleon  the  year  before  now  dreaded  his 
return,  and  were  cpiite  ready  to  fight  for  the  king. 

Still  all  was  confusion  and  disagreement  at  Paris, 
while  Bonaparte,  joined  everywhere  by  his  old 
soldiers,  and  welcomed  by  the  country  people,  ad- 
vanced to  the  capital  without  firing  a  shot. 

On  the  20th  of  March  the  king  and  royal  family 
left  Paris  and  went  to  Ghent,  travelling  quietly  by 
post  through  a  country  sufficiently  friendly  to  him, 
had  he  only  been  willing  to  accept  a  new  order  of 
things. 

This  was  what  Napoleon  was  trying  hard  to  do. 
In  every  proclamation  he  spoke  of  "the  people,"  of 
"  owing  all  to  the  people,"  and  used  as  often  as  pos- 
sible republican  words,  although  his  real  feelings  of 
despotism  would  occasionally  peep  out. 

Under  his  government,  of  course,  Lafayette  could 

*  One  of  the  king's  ministers  said,  "  All  is  lost !  There  is  no 
extremity,  no  endurance,  to  which  the  king  would  not  sub- 
mit." "  "What  !"  said  some  one ,  "even  Lafayette?"  "Yes," 
cried  he,  "  Lafayette  himself!  " 


182  LAFAYETTE.  [l815. 

not  hold  any  public  station.  After  spending  three 
days  more  in  Paris,  in  order  not  to  appear  alarmed, 
he  returned  to  Lagrange  and  his  happy  home-life. 

It  was  to  be  interrupted  sooner  than  he  supposed. 
The  Allies  immediately  rose  against  Napoleon,  who 
found  he  must  in  some  way  gratify  the  people,  who 
were  balancing  the  advantages  of  having  him  on  the 
throne  and  another  war  to  carry  on  against  the 
Allies,  ^>r  of  having  Louis  the  Eighteenth,  with  all 
his  defects,  ruling  over  them  once  more. 

His  brother  Joseph  sent  for  Lafayette,  who  could 
only  suggest  his  invariable  remedy  for  all  national 
difficulties,  a  National  Assembly.  To  this  the  em- 
peror gave  a  most  unwilling  consent,  and  Lafayette 
was  elected  a  deputy. 

The  chamber  of  Representatives  was  opened  by 
Bonaparte  with  great  pomp,  but,  though  his  words 
were  satisfactory,  his  face  had  a  constrained  look,  as 
if  he  were  acting  a  part  that  was  odious  to  his  nature. 
He  could  not  speak  to  National  Deputies  so  cordially 
as  poor  Louis  the  Sixteenth  had  done  in  1789. 

During  the  reception  of  the  emperor  he  spoke  to 
Lafayette  in  private,  and  began  by  saying,  "  It  is 
twelve  years  since  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you." 
"  Yes,  sire,"  replied  Lafayette,  rather  dryly,  "  it  is, 


AGE    57.]  LAFAYETTE.  183 

fully  that  time."  *  Later  in  the  day,  the  emperor 
remarked,  "  I  find  you  grown  young ;  country  air 
has  done  you  good."  "  It  has  clone  me  much  good," 
answered  Lafayette,  who  could  not  return  the  com- 
pliment. 

On  the  whole,  he  was  pretty  well  satisfied  with  the 
Assembly,  finding  more  independence  than  he  had 
expected  among  the  members. 

War  being  declared,  the  emperor  left  Paris  on  the 
12th  of  June,  1815,  and  the  battle  of  "Waterloo  was 
fought  on  the  18th.  It  was  a  total  defeat  for  the 
French.  Napoleon  came  back  to  Paris  ready  to  dis- 
solve the  Assembly  and  seize  all  authority  for  himself. 

Lafayette  insisted  that  the  Assembly  should  de- 
clare that  it  would  not  be  broken  up,  and  would  try 
to  protect  the  city.  This  was  agreed  to,  and  the 
Emperor's  abdication  f  was  proposed.  After  a  great 
struggle  to  keep  his  power,  he  consented  to  resign 
the  throne  in  favor  of  his  son.  The  Assembly  ac- 
cepted his  abdication,  but  said  nothing  of  his  suc- 
cessor. 

Some  of  his  friends  were  desirous  that  he  should 

*  Thirteen  years,  in  fact,  —  since  1802,  when  Bonaparte  was 
appointed  Consul  for  life. 
t  Giving  up  the  throne. 


184  LAFAYETTE.  [l815. 

go  to  America,  and  Lafayette  tried  to  secure  a  safe 
passage  for  him. 

The  Assembly  now  appointed  a  sort  of  committee 
to  govern  France  from  day  to  day.  It  was  expected 
that  Lafayette  would  be  a  member ;  but  he  was  sent 
instead  to  meet  the  victorious  generals,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, prevent  them  from  coming  to  Paris.  They  had 
declared  that  they  waged  war  against  Bonaparte 
alone,  and  not  in  favor  of  the  royal  family. 

It  was,  however,  impossible  to  induce  them  to 
agree  to  any  terms  of  peace  until  they  were  near 
Paris,  and  they  insisted  on  having  Napoleon  in  their 
safe  keeping.  "When  Lord  Stewart  first  said  to 
Lafayette,  "  I  must  inform  you,  sir,  that  there  can 
be  no  peace  with  the  allied  powers,  unless  you 
deliver  up  Bonaparte  to  us ; "  he  replied,  "  I  am 
surprised  that,  to  propose  so  base  an  act  to  the 
French  nation,  you  address  yourself  by  choice  to  a 
prisoner  of  Olmutz." 

There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  return  to 
Paris,  and  Lafayette  was  sorry  to  find  the  French 
army  in  too  broken  a  condition  to  surprise  the  Prus- 
sian force  on  its  way  to  the  capital.  There  Avas  one 
favorable  moment  for  such  an  attempt,  and  military 
ardor  awoke  again  in  Lafayette's  mind  at  the  sight 


AGE    57. J  LAFAYETTE. 


185 


of  the  enemy  marching  upon  Paris  for  the  second 
time  within  a  year. 

They  entered  the  city,  and  Napoleon,  who  had 
lingered  too  long  in  France  to  make  his  escape  now, 
gave  himself  up  to  the  captain  of  an  English  ship  of 
war.  He  was  banished  to  Saint  Helena.  The 
Assembly  was  dissolved  on  the  18th  of  July.  Lafay- 
ette was  therefore  free  to  return  to  Lagrange. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

VISIT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Louis  the  Eighteenth  was  replaced  on  the 
throne  of  France,  and  the  nation  had  again  to  bear 
the  mortification  of  giving  up  some  forts  and  pull- 
ing others  to  pieces.  It  was  a  bitter  thing  to  the 
French  to  see  other  nations  triumphing  over  them ; 
but  rest  was  needed,  at  last,  after  all  their  efforts. 

"Whatever  might  be  the  troubles  that  disturbed 
France,  or  however  great  Lafayette's  disappointment 
in  the  form  of  government,  Lagrange  was  always 
to  him  a  haven  of  peace,  content,  and  happiness. 
He  lived  on  the  best  terms  with  his  poor  neighbors, 
who  thought  of  him  as  the  country  gentleman  inter- 
ested in  his  farm,  and  not  as  the  "hero  of  two 
worlds,"  the  soldier  and  public  man.  Here  he  re- 
ceived his  guests  with  the  greatest  cordiality,  and 
enjoyed   the  liveliness  and  affection   of  his   grand- 


AGE   61.1  LAFAYETTE.  187 

children,  who  were  educated  chiefly  by  their  mothers, 
and  were  constantly  to  be  seen  in  the  drawing-room 
with  their  grandfather. 

Many  distinguished  persons,  artists,  literary  men, 
and  all  foreigners  who  were  liberal  in  politics,  came 
to  see  him  at  Lagrange,  so  that  his  quiet  life  was 
never  a  dull  one.  An  English  lady,  who  spent 
several  days  in  his  house  in  1818,  describes  the 
pleasant  conversations  in  which  Lafayette  was  some- 
times led  to  speak  of  the  scenes  and  people  he  had 
seen  in  past  years,  his  cordial,  cheerful  manners,  and 
the  happiness  of  the  family.  "  Charming  days, 
more  charming  evenings,  flow  on  in  a  perpetual 
stream  of  enjoyment  here."  In  the  mornings 
Madame  George  Lafayette,  the  Countess  Lasteyrie, 
and  the  Countess  Maubourg,  were  "  busy  with  the 
children  and  did  not  appear."  The  visitors  amused 
themselves,  or  were  with  the  General,  unless  his 
occupations  prevented.  Then  came  a  walk  or  drive, 
—  sometimes  a  long  excursion.  After  dinner,  at 
four  o'clock,  conversation ;  in  the  evening,  music, 
or  talking. 

She  speaks  thus  of  the  grandchildren's  education : 
"  Before  breakfast  I  find  all  the  young  people  at 
their  easels,  painting  from  models,  in  the  ante-room ; 
13 


188  LAFAYETTE.  [1818. 

then  they  go  to  their  music*  (there  are  three  pianos) ; 
then  they  all  turn  out  into  the  beautiful  park  for  two 
hours,  and  then  resume  their  studies  for  two  hours 
more.  But  I  never  saw  such  happy  children ;  they 
live  without  restraint,  and,  except  while  at  their 
lessons,  are  always  with  the  grown  people.  If  the 
little  ones  are  noisy,  they  are  sent  into  the  ante- 
room ;  but  their  gentleness  and  good  conduct  are 
astonishing,  considering,  too,  that  eleven  of  the  twelve 
arc  always  with  us." 

It  seems  as  if  they  must  have  inherited  something 
of  their  grandfather's  sunny  temper. 

This  very  pleasant  mode  of  life  was  sometimes 
exchanged  for  a  long  visit  in  Paris.  Lafayette  was 
chosen  deputy  to  the  Assembly  of  1818,  and  began 
to  work  with  all  his  old  diligence.  The  national 
expenses  for  the  army,  navy,  and  public  education ; 
the  law  of  elections ;  the  forming  of  the  National 
Guard,  and  the  freedom  of  the  press,  were  the  prin- 
cipal subjects  which  occupied  him.  His  speeches 
were  marked  by  his  usual  independence  and  open- 
ness. His  enemies  were  numerous  and  powerful, 
and  some  attempts  were  made  to  accuse  him  of  a 
share  in  secret  plots  against  the  government.     But 

*  A  music-master  and  an  English  governess  lived  in  the  house. 


AGE    64.]  LAFAYETTE.  189 

such  efforts  failed,  although  Lafayette  was  connected 
for  a  short  time  with  a  secret  society.  He  was  too 
frank  and  open  in  his  nature,  and  his  views  were  too 
moderate,  ever  to  satisfy  politicians  who  work  in 
underhand  ways. 

In  the  summer  of  1824,  Lafayette  accepted  the 
invitation  of  President  Monroe  to  visit  the  United 
States.  Congress  voted  to  send  a  man-of-war  for 
him ;  but  he  declined  it,  and  came  in  a  packet-ship, 
landing  at  New  York  on  the  16th  of  August.  He 
was  accompanied  by  his  son  and  his  secretary,  M. 
Levasseur.  From  New  York  he  proceeded  to  Bos- 
ton, and  as  far  north  as  Portsmouth,  N  H. ;  then 
returned  to  New  York,  and  went  south  to  Yorktown, 
Washington,  Charleston,  and  New  Orleans ;  then 
came  up  the  river  Mississippi,  and  through  Kentucky, 
Ohio,  and  New  York,  to  Boston  again,  in  order  to  be 
present  at  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  Bunker 
Hill  Monument,  which  took  place  June  17,  1825. 
He  then  went  once  more  to  the  south  to  take  leave 
of  his  friends  in  Virginia,  and  sailed  from  the  Potomac 
on  the  8th  of  September,  1825.  Thus  he  travelled 
through  almost  every  State  ha  the  Union,  and  saw 
many  a  flourishing  town  where  there  had  been  an 
unbroken  forest  in  1777,  or  even  at  his  last  visit  in 
1784. 


190  LAFAYETTE.  [l824. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  welcome  the  nation 
gave  to  its  guest.  From  the  moment  of  his  landing 
until  his  embarkation,  there  was  a  constant  succession 
of  processions,  speeches,  public  dinners,  military  re- 
views, balls,  fireworks,  rejoicings  of  every  kind  at 
every  place.  Old  soldiers  of  the  Revolution  were 
collected  to  see  him,  school-children  often  formed  a 
part  of  the  processions,  private  houses  were  thrown 
open,  committees  from  one  town  escorted  him  to  the 
next,  barouches  with  four  or  six  horses  met  him 
everywhere  for  his  entrance  into  the  towns,  all  the 
streets  and  houses  were  crowded  with  eager  faces, 
wherever  he  went  the  day  of  his  arrival  was  cele- 
brated as  a  holiday,  and  the  whole  United  States 
showed  their  joy  at  receiving  him. 

No  such  event  is  recorded  in  history.  It  was 
most  extraordinary  that  the  man  who  devoted  him- 
self in  his  early  youth  to  helping  a  nation  in  the  days 
of  poverty  and  weakness  should  live  to  come  back  to 
a  new  generation  of  men,  living  under  the  govern- 
ment which  he  had  helped  to  establish,  and  prosper- 
ous in  every  way. 

No  pains  were  spared  to  please  him  and  to  do  him 
honor.  On  his  first  arrival  at  New  York,  the  Gov- 
ernor, Mayor,  and  other  important  persons,  went  to 


AGE    66.]  LAFAYETTE."  191 

meet  him  in  a  steamboat,  followed  by  several  others, 
two  of  which  towed  up  the  ship  Cadmus,  that  had 
brought  him  over. 

In   Boston  he  received  the  highest  honors,   and 
went  to  Commencement  at  Cambridge,  and  also  to 
hear  the  oration  before  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa  Society. 
The  church  was  crowded  with  people  more  eager  to 
see   him   than   to  hear   the   performances,   and  the 
whole  audience  listened  breathlessly  when  the  orator, 
Mr.  Everett,  turning  to  him,  addressed  him  in  these 
words  :    "  Hail,  Friend  of  our  Fathers  !  welcome  to 
our   shores !     Enjoy   a   triumph  which  is   reserved 
neither  for  conquerors  nor  monarchs ;  the  assurance 
that  here,  throughout  all  America,  there  is  not  a 
heart  which  does  not  beat  with  joy  and  gratitude  in 
hearing  your   name.     You   have    already   received, 
and   will  soon    receive    the  greetings  of  the  small 
number  of  ardent  patriots,  wise  counsellors,  intrepid 
warriors,  with  whom  you  were  associated  for  the  con- 
quest  of  our   liberty ;   but   in    vain   you   will   look 
around  you  for  those  who  would  have  preferred  a 
single  day  like  this,  passed  with  their  old  companion 
in   arms,  to   years   of  life.  .....  You  will  again 

visit  the  hospitable  roof  of  Mount  Vernon ;  but  he 
whom  you  revered  will  no  longer  be  on  the  thresh- 


192  LAFAYETTE.  [l824. 

old  to  receive  you ;  his  voice,  that  consoling  voice, 
which  reached  you  even  in  the  cell  of  Olmutz,  will 
no  more  break  silence  to  bid  you  sit  at  his  hearth ; 
but  the  children  of  America  receive  you  in  his  name, 
and  cry,  '  Welcome,  Lafayette !  thrice  welcome  to 
our  land,  friend  of  our  fathers  and  our  country  ! '"    i 

On  his  return  to  New  York  a  very  splendid  pub- 
lic ball  was  given  to  him  at  Castle  Garden,  a  large 
hall  built  just  on  the  water's  edge,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Battery.  It  was  beautifully  ornamented ;  and  as 
the  General  took  his  seat,  what  appeared  to  be  a 
painting  in  front  of  the  gallery  was  lifted  up,  and 
showed  a  transparency  with  a  view  of  Lagrauge,  and 
underneath  it  these  words  :  "  His  Home."  Not  only 
Lafayette,  but  many  a  person  who  had  never  seen 
Lagrange,  was  moved.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, a  steamboat  came  to  take  him  from  Castle  Gar- 
den up  the  Hudson  River  to  West  Point. 

At  Philadelphia  an  equal  enthusiasm  was  shown, 
and  at  Baltimore  he  was  particularly  touched  by 
being  received  in  Washington's  tent,  where  he  found 
several  veterans  of  the  war  waiting  for  him. 

His  visit  to  the  tomb  of  Washington  was  private 
and  most  solemn.  Mr.  Custis  (Mrs.  Washington's 
grandson)  gave  him  on  the  spot  a  ring  containing 
Washington's  hair. 


AGE    67.]  LAFAYETTE.  193 

Pleasing  and  painful  memories,  of  course,  came 
crowding  upon  Ins  mind  as  he  revisited  the  battle- 
grounds of  the  Revolution,  or  the  places  where  he  had 
lived,  and  found  himself  almost  alone,  —  that  he  had 
survived  his  companions.  He  arrived  at  Yorktown 
on  the  19th  of  October,  the  anniversary  of  Lord  Corn- 
wallis's  surrender,  and  saw  the  field  again  white  with 
tents ;  but  this  time  there  were  no  batteries,  and  the 
place  of  the  redoubt  which  his  troops  had  stormed 
was  marked  by  a  triumphal  arch.  The  names  of 
other  French  heroes  besides  Lafayette,  were  not  for- 
gotten in  the  inscription.  A  review  of  militia  did 
not  exactly  recall  the  perils  of  the  siege  ;  and  a 
great  public  dinner,  fireworks,  &c,  closed  the  day. 

Lafayette  went  to  Monticello  to  visit  Mr.  Jefferson, 
whose  health  was  too  infirm  to  allow  him  to  take 
part  in  any  of  the  festivities,  but  who  welcomed  him 
heartily  to  a  home.  And  a  little  rest  was  very 
pleasant  after  so  much  motion  and  excitement.  The 
mere  effort  of  making  so  many  speeches  and  shaking 
hands  with  so  many  strangers  would  have  been 
fatiguing  under  common  circumstances ;  but  Lafay- 
ette's health  was  perfectly  good  through  the  year; 
enjoyment  seems  to  have  enabled  him  to  bear  every 
exposure. 


194  LAFAYETTE.  [l825. 

At  Washington  he  was  received  in  the  most  re- 
spectful manner  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives, who  voted  him  a  present  of  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  and  a  township  of  land,  "in  con- 
sideration of  his  services  and  sacrifices  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War."  He  spent  several  weeks  of  the  win- 
ter at  the  capital,  and  then  proceeded  further  south. 

At  Fayetteville,  N.  C,  a  town  named  for  him,  a 
part  of  his  escort  consisted  of  a  troop  of  cavalry  that 
had  travelled  a  hundred  a  fifty  miles,  a  great  part  of 
the  time  in  the  rain,  from  their  homes  in  the  country. 

At  Charleston,  S.  C,  he  met  once  more  Mr.  Huger, 
the  faithful  friend  of  Olmutz.  What  a  contrast  to 
the  time  when  he  had  mounted  Lafayette  on  horse- 
back, and  quietly  given  himself  up  to  the  jailers  ! 

At  Savaunah,  he  laid  the  corner-stones  of  two 
monuments  to  General  Greene  and  Count  Pulaski, 
both  friends  of  his  youthful  days.  On  the  Chata- 
hoochee  River,  in  Georgia,  a  number  of  Indians  were 
collected  to  see  him,  and  greeted  him  with  yells  as  he 
crossed.  On  his  landing  they  took  the  horse  out  of 
the  sulky  *  provided  for  him,  and  dragged  him  up  the 
hill,  after    which  they  entertained  him  Avith  one  of 

*  A  vehicle  like  a  chaise,  which  holds  but  one. 


AGE   67.]  LAFAYETTE.  195 

their  games  at  ball.  Red  men  and  white  alike 
exerted  themselves  to  gratify  the  nation's  guest. 

In  going  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  Lafayette  met  with 
the  only  accident  which  interrupted  the  pleasure  of 
this  journey.  The  steamboat  he  was  in  struck  a 
snag  and  was  wrecked.  No  lives  were  lost,  but  it 
was  impossible  to  get  out  the  luggage ;  and  Lafayette 
lost  six  hundred  letters,  besides  the  other  contents  of 
his  trunks. 

He  accomplished  one  object  on  which  he  had  set 
his  heart,  —  that  of  getting  back  again  to  Boston  in 
time  for  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  Bunker 
Hill  Monument.  It  was  fifty  years  from  the  day  of 
the  battle,  and  the  hill  was  crowded  with  free,  happy 
New  Englanders,  who  looked  back  to  that  hard  fight 
as  to  the  first  step  on  the  path  of  liberty.  The  pro- 
cession was  formed  as  usual,  with  the  military,  vari- 
ous societies,  the  Governor,  Mayor,  and  guests  from 
a  distance.  Lafayette's  place  was  of  course  a  con- 
spicuous one,  and  he  was  accompanied  by  ninety-six 
survivors  of  the  battle  in  carriages,  and  others  on 
foot. 

Mr.  Webster  was  the  orator  of  the  day,  and  when 
he  addressed  Lafayette  and  this  band  of  veterans, 
they  all  rose.     The  interest  of  the  scene  was  very 


196  LAFAYETTE.  [l825. 

great,  and  the  whole  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner- 
stone was  successful.  The  weather  was  fine,  and 
Lafayette  wrote  to  his  family,  that  afternoon,  that  he 
had  just  come  from  "  one  of  the  finest  patriotic  cele- 
brations there  could  be."  At  the  dinner  which  was 
given  after  the  morning's  work,  his  toast  was,  "  Bun- 
ker Hill,  and  the  sacred  resistance  to  oppression 
which  has  already  freed  the  American  Hemisphere  ! 
—  The  toast  on  the  jubilee  of  the  next  half-century 
will  be,  Europe  free  !  "  * 

Towards  the  close  of  the  summer,  there  came 
some  painful  farewells  to  be  said  to  his  American 
friends.  In  Virginia  he  took  leave  of  ex-Presidents 
Jefferson,  Madison,  and  Monroe.  The  election  of  a 
new  President  had  taken  place  during  the  past  3tear, 
and  Lafayette  pleased  himself  with  the  hope  that  his 
presence  had  softened  a  little  the  harshness  of  party 
spirit.  The  new  President,  Mr.  John  Quincy  Ad- 
ams, invited  him  to  dine  at  the  White  House  on  his 
birthday,  (Sept.  6th,)  with  a  large  party.  It  is  con- 
trary to  custom  to  give  toasts  at  the  President's  table, 
but  on  this  occasion  Mr.  Adams  rose  and  said,  "  The 
22d  of  February  and  the  6th  of  September :  Birth- 
days of  Washington  and  Lafayette ! "     The  General, 

*  There  is  not  much  sign  of  this  now  (1859). 


AGE    6S.]  LAFAYKTTK.  197 

much  moved  at  hearing  his  name  thus  associated 
with  Washington's,  gave,  in  return,  "  The  4th  of 
July :    Birthday  of  liberty  in  both  hemispheres  ! " 

The  next  day,  September  7th,  Lafayette  received 
and  answered  a  farewell  address  from  the  President, 
and  then,  followed  by  a  long  procession,  went  to  the 
steamboat  which  waited  to  take  him  on  board  the 
frigate  Brandywine. 

It  was  a  solemn  parting ;  for  few  of  the  persons 
there  present  could  hope  to  see  Lafayette  in  France, 
and  he  was  too  old  a  man  to  think  of  ever  coming 
to  America  again.  The  visit  had  been  a  happy  time 
in  his  life,  and  one  that  can  never  be  repeated  in 
the  history  of  the  United  States. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

A   HAPPY  HOME. 

After  all  his  enjoyment,  however,  he  was  glad 
indeed  to  find  himself  at  home  at  Lagrange,  where 
he  was  welcomed  with  a  "  fete,"  a  few  days  after  his 
arrival.  The  house  was  decorated,  and  all  his  neigh- 
bors danced  merrily  in  the  park.  Young  girls  came 
to  see  him  and  to  sing  a  few  little  verses,  which  is  a 
French  fashion  of  rejoicing,  and  perhaps  quite  as 
good  a  one  as  the  American  style  of  making  speeches. 

During  Lafayette's  absence,  Louis  the  Eighteenth 
had  died  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  Charles 
the  Tenth ;  but  the  system  of  government  was  not 
much  changed.  In  fact,  Charles  the  Tenth  was 
still  more  attached  to  the  old  aristocratic  system  than 
his  brother.  He  said,  himself,  "  Lafayette  and  I  are 
the  only  two  men  in  France  who  have  remained 
perfectly  firm  in  then-  principles  through  the  devolu- 
tion." 


AGE    69.]  LAFAYETTE.  199 

At  this  time  Greece  was  in  a  state  of  revolt 
against  the  Turks ;  Spain  and  Portugal  were  at  least 
half  way  towards  revolutions ;  Italy  was  far  from 
being  quiet ;  General  Bolivar  was  laboring  to  make 
Columbia  a  republic,  and  Mexico  claimed  some 
interest  from  the  loA*ers  of  freedom.  Lafayette 
corresponded  with  the  various  generals,  and  La- 
grange was  always  open  to  unfortunate  politicians 
who  were  banished  from  their  native  country, 
wherever  that  might  be.  No  limits  of  sea  or 
mountains  ever  shut  off  his  sympathy  from  a  people 
who  loved  freedom,  and  he  was  ready  to  give 
any  help  in  his  power  to  those  who  were  resisting 
oppression. 

He  seems  never  to  have  known  fatigue,  either  of 
body  or  mind.  He  was  again  elected  to  the  As- 
sembly in  1827,  and  took  up  all  his  habits  of  busi- 
ness. The  care  of  so  large  a  farm  as  Lagrange 
would  have  been  thought  by  many  people  occupa- 
tion enough  for  a  man  of  his  age.  It  included 
about  five  hundred  French  acres  of  land,  partly 
in  plantations,  and  partly  in  meadows  for  sheep 
and  cattle.  Lafayette  took  great  pleasure  in  col- 
lecting fine  animals,  and  he  had  many  presents  of 
good    specimens.      All    his    barns    and    sheepfolds 


'200  LAFAYETTE.  [l827. 

were  kept  in  the  neatest  manner,  and  the  accounts 
of  the  produce  and  expenses  of  the  farm  were  put 
down  in  large  books,  as  accurately  as  the  accounts 
of  a  merchant's  business.  It  was  not  intended  for 
a  show  place,  and  the  chief  ornament  was  the  beauti- 
ful park,  and  the  long,  shady  avenue  which  led  to 
the  house. 

This  was  an  old  castle,  but  comfortable  enougn 
for  a  modern  family.  Five  towers  *  were  the  most 
striking  part  of  it  to  a  stranger,  as  he  approached ; 
one  in  the  middle  of  the'  house,  two  at  the  end  of 
each  wing.  Around  three  sides  of  the  house  was 
a  moat,  or  deep  ditch,  full  of  clear  water,  in  which 
fishes  might  be  seen.  Large  weeping  willows  and 
other  fine  trees  hung  over  the  edge.  On  the  fourth 
side  it  had  been  filled  up,  and  the  front  of  the  cha- 
teau looked  out  on  a  smooth  lawn,  with  a  few  flowers 
growing  near  the  house.  In  the  lower  story  of  the 
house  were  a  small  chapel,  a  large  dining-room  with 
a  stone  roof,  a  hall,  kitchens,  etc. ;  above,  the  draw- 
ing-rooms, the  General's  private  apartments,  and  the 
rooms  used  by  the  various  families  and  the  guests. 

Lafayette's    own    habits    were   very    simple   and 

*  One  of  them  was  covered  with  ivy,  planted  by  Mr.  Fox,  a 
very  distinguished  Englishman. 


AGE    69.]  LAFAYETTE.  201 

regular.  He  slept  usually  but  seven  hour?,  and  was 
called  by  his  servant  at  five  o'clock.  He  read  or 
wrote  in  his  own  apartment  until  the  ten  o'clock 
breakfast,  after  which  he  always  went  about  the 
farm  for  two  hours  at  least,  then  returned  to  his 
writing  until  dinner-time.  -  In  the  evening,  if  there 
were  visitors,  he  remained  in  the  drawing-room, 
talking ;  if  the  family  were  alone,  he  sometimes 
went  back  to  his  own  occupations,  —  but  he  reap- 
peared to  bid  his  children  good  night. 

His  management  of  his  farm  served  as  an  ex- 
ample to  his  poor  neighbors.  The  peasants  laughed 
when  they  first  saw  his  large  plantation  of  apple- 
trees  ;  but  by  and  by,  when  they  found  the  cider 
from  Lagrange  was  good  and  •  sold  well,  they  also 
began  to  set  out  orchards. 

His  neighbors,  and  even  strangers,  were  allowed 
to  walk  freely  on  his  grounds,  and  all  visitors  at  the 
house  were  at  liberty  to  amuse  themselves  with 
walks,  boating  and  fishing  on  the  pond,  or  anything 
else  they  preferred.  The  spirit  of  genuine  kindness 
governed  the  Avhole  family,  from  the  General  down 
to  his  youngest  grandchild,  and  made  them  a  great 
blessing  to  the  neighborhood.  The  physician  of  the 
place  had  the  best  means  of  knowing   their   char- 


202  LAFAYETTE.  [l827. 

ities,  for  he  was  often  sent  to  visit  the  sick  at  their 
expense.  He  says :  "  All  Lafayette's  moments  at 
Lagrange  resemble  each  other,  for  they  are  all 
marked  by  good  feelings  or  kind  actions." 

Every  week  two  hundred  pounds  of  bread  were 
given  out  to  the  poor,  of  the  same  quality  as  that 
used  at  Lafayette's  table  ;  and  in  times  of  scarcity 
the  quantity  was  increased  to  six  hundred  pounds, 
and  soup  was  added.  In  1817  there  was  a  famine, 
and  the  distress  was  great  near  Lagrange.  Seven 
hundred  persons  might  have  been  seen  at  the 
chateau  every  day,  —  they  received  soup  and  bread, 
but  the  supplies  fell  short  before  the  end  of  the  season. 
A  family  council  was  held,  and  Lafayette  proposed 
that  they  should  all  go  to  his  old  home  at  Chavaniac, 
in  Auvergne,  and  thus  leave  for  the  poor  what  they 
usually  consumed  themselves.  This  plan  was  joy- 
fully agreed  to  and  carried  out  by  the  family. 

During  the  cholera  season  of  1832,  Lafayette  and 
his  son  and  daughters  devoted  themselves  to  the 
care  of  the  sick.  His  son  brought  down  a  physician 
from  Pai'is.  Medicines,  ice,  blankets,  flannel,  every- 
thing in  the  house  was  used  for  them,  and  by  day 
and  by  night  the  family  gave  their  whole  strength 
and  efforts  to  relieving   pain,  and  curing   the  dis- 


AGE    71.]  LAFAYETTE.  203 

ease,  if  possible.  The  peasants,  who  had  at  first 
been  so  frightened  that  they  deserted  all  who  were 
attacked,  took  courage  from  such  an  example,  ven- 
tured into  the  houses,  and  nursed  their  own  relations. 

Was  it  strange  that,  after  many  years  of  such 
thoughtful  kindness,  the  country  people  loved  him  ? 

The  house  was  a  perfect  museum  of  presents. 
Swords  from  the  United  States  and  the  National 
Guard ;  busts  and  portraits  of  "Washington ;  rings 
containing  the  hair  of  celebrated  people  ;  flags,  boxes 
made  from  old  or  famous  trees,  canes,  silver  vases, 
portraits  of  patriots  of  all  nations,  Indian  weapons, 
stuffed  birds,  —  everything  which  people  had  imag- 
ined he  might  like  to  keep,  had  been  showered  upon 
him.  And  he  had  the  pleasantest  way  of  answering 
questions  upon  the  various  parts  of  his  life,  —  from 
his  acquaintance  with  the  Queen  to  the  habits  of  the 
Indians.  To  young  people  he  was  almost  a  volume 
of  history.  And  if  a  little  vanity  mingled  with  his 
frankness  in  speaking  of  what  he  had  done,  it  could 
be  easily  excused  in  one  whose  services  had  been  so 
great. 

In  the  summer  of  1829  Lafayette  took   a   little 

journey  in  France,  which  was  almost  the  repeating 

of  some  of  his  days  in  America.     He  went  first  to 
14 


204  LAFAYETTE.  [l829. 

Chavaniac,  in  Auvergne,  his  native  place,  and  thence 
on  to  Vizille,  near  Grenoble,  to  visit  one  of  hi3 
granddaughters.  He  received  everywhere  a  public 
welcome ;  banquets  were  given  to  him,  followed  by 
patriotic  speeches ;  processions  escorted  him ;  fire- 
works and  illuminations  made  the  nights  brilliant. 

The  Government  was  displeased  with  this  expres- 
sion of  admiration  for  Lafayette,  and  with  the  liberal 
sentiments  and  wishes  he  did  not  hesitate  to  utter; 
but  there  was  no  excuse  for  interfering. 

The  king  and  his  son  made  themselves  constantly 
more  and  more  unpopular,  by  doing  everything  in 
their  power  to  interrupt  elections,  to  restrain  the 
freedom  of  the  press,  and  to  blot  out  all  traces  of 
wdiat  had  been  gained  by  the  Revolution.  The  king 
wished  to  govern  alone,  and  he  preferred  ministers 
who  would  allow  him  his  own  way  in  everything. 
"  Where  will  this  end  ?  "  asked  some  timid  politicians, 
and  Lafayette  lived  to  see  the  end.  You  might 
think  there  was  to  be  nothing  more  in  his  life  but 
quiet  home-scenes,  and  the  happiness  of  being  be- 
loved and  honored  in  so  many  places  ;  but  a  second 
Revolution  called  his  powers  once  more  into  active 
use. 

In  July,  1830,  certain  decrees  relating  to  elections 


AGE  72.]  LAFAYETTE.  205 

appeared,  which  the  people  of  Paris  decided  not  to 
submit  to.  On  the  27th  they  took  up  arms  and 
began  to  resist  the  king's  troops.  Lafayette  was 
sent  for,  arrived  at  night,  and  immediately  gave  the 
assistance  of  his  name  and  character  to  the  Parisians 
fighting  in  the  streets. 

The  next  day  the  Deputies  to  the  Assembly  met, 
and,  after  much  discussion,  decided  what  to  do.  Some 
of  them  proposed  merely  to  act  as  mediators  between 
the  king  and  the  people,  who  were  taking  the  Hotel 
de  Ville,  and  having  sharp  conflicts  with  the  soldiers 
all  over  the  city.  Others  said  it  was  too  late ;  that 
some  committee  must  take  command  for  a  few  days, 
and  give  orders  to  the  party  that  was  resisting  at  the 
barricades,  and  that  the  king  must  go.  Lafayette 
was  indignant  at  any  delay  while  his  countrymen 
were  dying  around  them  with  the  cry  "Vive  la 
Liberte ! "  *  on  their  lips. 

On  the  29th  he  was  asked  to  take  command  of  the 
National  Guard,  which  he  did  very  cheerfully.  His 
thoughts  went  back  to  the  hopeful  days  of  1789 ;  and 
when  he  went  up  the  great  staircase  of  the  Hotel  de 
Ville,  he  said  to  some  person  who  offered  to  show 

*  It  is  not  easy  to  translate  these  'words.  "  Hurra  for  Lib- 
erty!  "  means  almost  the  same  thing. 


206  LAFAYETTE.  [lS30. 

kiin  the  way,  "  I  know  every  step."      He  had  not 
been  there  for  nearly  forty  years. 

On  the  third  day  the  righting  came  to  an  end. 
Lafayette  gave  his  orders  to  the  National  Guard 
with  as  much  ease  and  interest  as  he  had  in  1789. 
He  was  proud  to  command  the  Parisians.  In  a 
letter  written  on  the  30th,  he  says,  "  The  people  of 
Paris  have  covered  themselves  with  glory;  and  when 
I  say  the  people,  I  mean  those  who  are  called  the 
lowest  classes  of  society,  who  this  time  have  been 
the  first ;  —  for  the  courage,  the  intelligence,  the  de- 
votion and  virtue  of  the  citizens,  have  been  admira- 
ble  We  are  admirably  barricaded.     If  the 

enemy,  should   venture   again   into    the    streets,  he 
would  have  cause  to  repent  of  it." 

On  the  31st  the  Deputies  decided  to  invite  the 
Duke  of  Orleans  —  the  son  of  the  wicked  Duke  of 
Orleans,  who  was  cousin  to  Louis  XVI.,  Louis  XVHL, 
and  Charles  X.  —  to  be  Lieutenant-General  of  France. 
He  had  fought  under  the  Republican  flag  nearly 
forty  years  before,  and  was  believed  to  be  far  more 
reasonable  and  sensible  than  the  king's  sons.  He 
came  to  visit  Lafayette  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville.  Proc- 
lamations containing  his  name  had  been  torn  down, 
and  the  immense  crowd  which  filled  the  square  did 


AGE    72.]  LAFAYETTE.  207 

not  show  him  any  favor  as  he  rode  along.  Lafayette 
received  him  at  the  foot  of  the  staircase ;  they  went 
up  together,  and  the  proclamation  announcing  him  as 
Lieutenant-General  was  coldly  received.  Lafayette 
held  out  his  hand  to  the  duke,  gave  him  a  tricolor 
flag,  and  led  him  to  one  of  the  windows.  The  crowd 
below  instantly  cheered  them. 

Lafayette  was  very  anxious  to  find  out  clearly  the 
opinions  of  the  duke,  who  was  to  hold  so  important  a 
position,  and  returned  the  visit  quickly.  He  said  to 
the  duke:  "You  know  I  am  a  republican,  and  I 
think  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  the  most 
perfect  one  there  has  ever  been."  "  I  think  as  you 
do,"  answered  the  duke ;  "  it  is  impossible  to  have 
passed  two  years  in  America  and  not  be  of  that 
opinion ;  but  do  you  think  it  fitting  for  us  to  adopt 
it,  in  the  situation  of  France,  and  considering  the 
general  opinion  ?  "  "  No,"  said  Lafayette ;  "  what 
the  French  want  to-day  is  a  throne  surrounded  with 
republican  institutions,  —  entirely  republican."  "  So 
I  understand  it,"  replied  the  duke. 

Daring  this  time  the  royal  troops  were  collected 
near  Rambouillet,  about  twenty-five  miles  southwest 
of  Paris,  where  the  king  waited,  uncertain  what  to 
do.     A  large  body  of  the  National  Guard  set  out  for 


208  LAFAYETTE.  [l830. 

Versailles,  intending  to  keep  on  to  Rambouillet ;  but 
the  king,  hearing  of  their  march,  agreed  to  give  up 
the  diamonds  of  the  crown,  and  to  go  to  Cherbourg 
to  take  passage  for  England. 

The  Duke  of  Orleans  invited  Lafayette  to  take 
command  of  the  National  Guard  of  the  whole  king- 
dom. This  proposal,  although  like  the  one  which 
he  had  prevented  in  1790,  he  now  thought  it  best  to 
accept. 

On  the  9th  of  August  the  Duke  of  Orleans  was 
invited  to  fill  the  vacant  throne.  He  agreed  to 
the  conditions  the  Assembly  proposed,  and  became 
King  under  the  name  of  Louis  Philippe,  first  King 
of  the  French. 

Lafayette  gave  the  following  account  of  this  short 
.Revolution :  "  The  victory  of  the  people  has  been  as 
admirable,  rapid,  and  complete  as  the  most  romantic 
imagination  could  have  dreamt.  Tuesday  we  were 
breakfasting  at  Lagrange,  receiving  the  Moniteur  * 
containing  the  decrees ;  you  can  imagine  that  I  did 
not  dine  there.  They  began  to  fight  the  same  even- 
ing ;  the  two  next  days  there  were  combats,  barri- 
cades, heroic  actions,  everywhere.  I  was  able  to 
establish  myself  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  which  had 

*  A  Paris  newspaper. 


AGE    72.]  LAFAYETTE.  209 

been  taken  and  retaken ;  and  the  ro}ral  family,  cross- 
ing France  without  receiving  the  least  insult,  are  to 
embark  to-day  (Aug.  12).  The  people  have  done 
the  whole.  Courage,  intelligence,  disinterestedness, 
clemency  towards  the  conquered,  —  everything  has 
been  incredibly  tine.  How  different  from  even  the 
first  moments  of  '89  !  " 


CHAPTER    XIX 


THE   OLD   SOLDIER. 


Lafayette  continued  to  take  great  pleasure  in 
arranging  the  National  Guard,  which  the  king  often 
reviewed,  and  in  which  he  expressed  much  satisfac- 
tion. He  devoted  to  it  all  the  time  which  could  be 
spared  from  his  duties  as  Deputy. 

His  orders  were  full  of  spirit,  and  it  pleased  the 
people  to  see  this  veteran  general  of  seventy-two  as 
active  in  his  habits  as  any  young  officer.  He  was 
always  greeted  with  cheers  and  many  signs  of  favor 
when  he  appeared  on  public  occasions. 

He  had  been  in  the  habit  of  receiving  his  friends 
and  strangers  at  his  house  one  evening  of  every 
week,  and  after  this  revolution  his  rooms  were  much 
fuller  than  before.  He  then  put  on  his  uniform,  and 
in  many  little  ways  showed  much  of  the  spirit  of  his 
early  days.     His  manners  were  always  cordial,  and 


AGE   73.]  LAFAYETTE.  211 

his  face  readily  lighted  up  with  smiles.  He  was  tall 
and  had  a  good  figure  ;  but  his  face  was  plain,  though 
his  complexion  preserved  its  freshness  to  the  end  of 
his  life. 

The  company  on  these  occasions  was  not  select, 
but  often  included  many  distinguished  persons. 
Americans  especially  enjoyed  them,  as  almost  all 
nations  might  be  seen  there.  Poles,  Greeks,  Span- 
iards, Italians,  Portuguese,  and  Irish  patriots,  met  on 
friendly  ground  under  Lafayette's  roof. 

The  General  was  particularly  fond  of  going  to  the 
dinner  given  by  the  Americans  in  Paris  every  Fourth 
of  July.  He  would  sometimes  come  up  from  La- 
grange for  the  purpose,  and  always  had  a  patriotic 
toast  ready. 

In  December  the  Guard  was  called  out  in  great 
force  during  the  trial  of  Charles  the  Tenth's  minis- 
ters, for  having  ordered  the  troops  to  fire  during  the 
three  days  of  July.  Order  was  maintained  by  great 
efforts ;  for  the  crowd  who  filled  the  streets  were  not 
those  who  had  fought  at  the  barricades,  but  the  dregs 
of  Paris.  Lafayette  was,  however,  respected  by 
them,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  go  freely  among  the 
groups  and  disperse  them.  It  was  expected  that  the 
ministers  would  be  condemned  to  death,  but  their 
sentence  was  perpetual  imprisonment. 


212  LAFAYETTE.  [l830. 

He  received  from  the  king  most  affectionate  notes 
of  thanks  for  his  own  services  and  those  of  the  Guard. 

It  was  therefore  an  unpleasant  surprise  to  him  to 
find  that  on  the  24th  of  December  a  law  was  passed 
forbidding  the  appointment  of  any  such  officer  as 
Commandant-general,  and  allowing  only  very  small 
divisions  of  the  Guard  to  have  a  commandant. 

Under  such  a  law  Lafayette  could  not  hold  his 
office,  and  he  refused  the  title  of  honorary  Command- 
ant which  was  offered  him  as  a  compensation.  The 
king  accepted  his  resignation  with  many  words  of 
regret. 

In  the  Assembly  Lafayette  was  soon  engaged  in 
discussions  respecting  expenses,  nobility,  elections, 
and  above  all  the  treatment  of  foreign  nations. 
The  Revolution  of  July  had  been  a  sort  of  summons 
to  the  discontented  all  over  Europe  to  rise  against 
the  governments.  In  Belgium,  Spain,  Switzerland, 
Poland,  and  the  north  of  Italy,  there  were  either 
revolutions  or  attempts  at  them,  and  Lafayette 
wanted  the  French  people  to  sympathize  with  and 
help  all  who  were  struggling  to  be  free.  It  seemed 
to  him  only  right;  that  those  who  had  used  barricades 
to  secure  their  own  liberty  should  hold  out  their 
hands  to  their  brethren  in  other  countries.     When 


AGE    73.]  LAFAYETTE.  213 

the  revolutions  failed,  lie  desired  that  France  should 
be  a  place  of  refuge  for  all  the  unfortunate. 

But  Lafayette  was  destined  always  throughout  his 
long  life  to  stand  alone.  His  speeches  were  of 
course  listened  to  with  respect  on  account  of  his  age, 
but  he  seldom  saw  one  of  his  plans  carried  out. 
The  king  and  his  ministers  wei*e  afraid  of  being 
dragged  into  wars  if  they  adopted  his  views,  and 
showed  themselves  rather  more  attached  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  last  reign  than  to  what  Lafayette 
thought  the  true  meaning  of  the  Revolution  of  July, 
1830. 

The  activity  of  his  mind  was  more  surprising  at 
his  age  than  that  of  his  body.  Nothing  that  con- 
cerned France  was  in.  any  way  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence to  him,  and  he  was  as  ready  with  a  speech 
about  a  new  law  as  about  the  treatment  of  exiles. 

The  troubles  of  the  summer  of  1832  distressed 
him  much.  At  the  funeral  of  a  Deputy  and  distin- 
guished general,  M.  Lamarque,  some  person  unfor- 
tunately carried  in  the  procession  a  red  flag  with  the 
red  cap  of  liberty  above  it,  and  the  motto  Liberty 
or  Death.  These  words  and  the  cap  were  associated 
in  the  minds  of  many  Frenchmen  with  the  horrors 
of  the  Reign  of  Terror.     Some  wreaths  were  thrown 


214  LAFAYETTE.  [l832. 

upon  the  flag,  and  about  the  tomb  there  was  more 
excitement  than  Lafayette  liked  to  sec.  Some  ad- 
dresses were  made ;  he  said  a  few  words,  and  with- 
drew. Not  being  able  to  find  his  carriage,  he  hired 
a  vehicle  to  go  home  in ;  but  the  crowd,  principally- 
young  men,  took  out  the  horses  and  insisted  on  drag- 
ging him  home.  They  urged  him  violently  to  give 
the  signal  for  an  attack  by  the  people,  which  he 
refused  to  do. 

The  troops  were  called  out,  fighting  hegan,  and  for 
two  days  Paris  was  bristling  with  bayonets.  The 
king  appeared  on  horseback,  and  ordered  out  the 
cannon,  in  order,  as  he  said,  "to  put  an  end  to  it 
sooner ; "  some  persons  were  arrested,  a  few  news- 
papers stopped,  and  at  last  Paris  was  declared  to  be 
in  a  state  of  siege.* 

Lafayette  thought  a  great  deal  of  this  show  of 
power  very  unnecessary,  but  blamed  severely  the 
violence  of  the  young  men  of  the  liberal  party,  and 
the  bringing  forward  of  the  odious  red  cap. 

Another  event  which  gave  him  much  pain  was  the 
arrest  at  Lagrange  of  a  Mr.  Llewel,  a  distinguished 
Pole  whom  he  had  invited  to  his  house  after  an  order 

*  Under  the  government  of  officers,  just  as  if  there  were  an 
enemy's  army  all  around  it. 


AGE    74.]  LAFAYETTE.  215 

from  the  ministers  banished  him  from  Paris.  It  was 
suspected  that  Llewel  had  again  shown  himself  in 
the  capital,  and  for  this  offence  he  was  arrested. 

Lafayette  was  faithful  to  his  Polish  friends  at  all 
times.  The  last  speech  he  made  in  the  Assembly 
was  in  support  of  petitions  relating  to  Polish  refugees. 

His  last  appearance  in  public  was  at  the  funeral 
of  a  Deputy,  M.  Dulong,  in  January,  1833.  He 
was  on  foot  for  several  hours,  and  was,  as  usual,  much 
gratified  by  the  expressions  of  the  people.  He  seemed 
tired  after  his  return,  and  was  soon  taken  ill.  He  bore 
confinement  to  the  house  patiently,  though  he  wished 
to  be  at  his  place  in  the  Assembly,  and  was  disap- 
pointed at  not  being  allowed  to  see  the  many  friends 
who  came  to  inquire  after  his  health.  He  amused 
himself  with  reading  newspapers  and  pamphlets, 
writing  or  dictating  letters,  and  talking,  when  he  was 
not  in  pain,  of  America,*  or  his  friends,  or  anything 
except  his  own  condition.  He  regained  sufficient 
strength  to  drive  out,  and  his  family  hoped  that  he 
might  recover,  or  at  least  live  comfortably  for  some 

*  In  many  trifles  he  showed  his  love  for  everything  American. 
When  he  was  ordered  to  take  a  little  Madeira  wine,  "  Give  me 
that  from  Lagrange,"  he  said;  "it  will  do  me  more  good."  It 
had  been  sent  him  from  the  "United  States. 


21 G  LAFAYETTE.  [1834. 

time.  But  on  the  9th  of  May  he  took  cold  from 
exposure  to  a  thunder-shower  during  his  drive,  and 
from  that  day  there  was  no  hope.  The  physicians 
who  attended  him  proposed  consulting  others,  and 
one  of  them  said  to  Lafayette  that  they  felt  respon- 
sible, not  only  to  his  family,  but  to  the  French 
nation,  of  whom  he  was  the  father.  "Yes,"  said  the 
General,  with  a  smile,  "  their  father  on  condition 
that  they  never  follow  a  syllable  of  my  advice." 

He  submitted  cheerfully  to  everything  his  phy- 
sicians ordered,  and  was  most  gentle  and  grateful  to 
all  who  waited  on  him. 

One  of  his  last  letters,  dated  May  1st,  was  on  the 
subject  of  the  emancipation*  of  negroes.  He  spoke 
hopefully  of  its  progress  hi  the  United  States,  begin- 
ning Avith  Maryland  and  Kentucky;  congratulated 
the  English  on  their  management  in  their  colonies, 
and  regretted  what  had  been  done  in  the  French 
ones;  he  also  expressed  warm  approval  of -Liberia. 

On  the  20th  of  May,  without  having  had  much 
suffering,  Lafayette  died  peacefully.  Just  before  he 
drew  his  last  breath,  he  opened  his  eyes  and  fixed 
them  on  his  children  who  stood  about  his  bed,  as  if 
to  look  the  farewell  he  was  no  longer  able  to  speak. 

*  Setting  free. 


AGE   76-]  LAFAYETTE.  217 

Their  gi'ief  can  be  imagined  at  the  loss  of  a  father 
so  illustrious,  so  loving  and  tender.  Mourning  Avas 
not  confined  to  his  own  family,  but  was  shared  by 
an  immense  circle  of  friends  and  admirers. 

His  funeral  procession  was  long,  and  the  streets 
were  lined  with  the  National  Guard.  After  services 
hi  the  Church  of  the  Assumption,  he  was  buried,  as 
he  had  desired  to  be,  in  the  cemetery  of  Picpus,  by 
his  wife's  side.  Lamentations  were  general,  espe- 
cially from  the  poor.  One  person,  who  seemed  to 
be  a  stranger,  observed  that  this  must  have  been  a 
very  rich  person,  who  had  so  many  people  at  his 
funeral.  "No,"  answered  a  laboring  man,  "but  he 
gave  us  everything ;  the  French  people  are  not 
ungrateful,  and  they  are  here  to  thank  him."  Another 
poor  man  endeavored  to  make  his  way  to  the  bier, 
to  walk  directly  behind  it.  "  Don't  you  see,"  said 
one  of  the  National  Guards,  "  that  none  but  the 
family  are  admitted  there  ?  "  "  We  all  belong  to  his 
family,"  replied  the  man,  "  for  he  loved  us  all  as  his 
children."     He  was  allowed  to  pass. 

It  was  fitting  that  Lafayette's  funeral  train  should 
pass  through  the  streets  of  Paris,  the  scene  of  his 
greatest  successes  and  hardest  labors.  He  did  not 
obtain  his  heart's  desire ;  France  is  not  to-day  what 


218  LAFAYETTE.  [l834. 

he  would  wish  to  see  her;  and  if  we  measure  the 
value  of  a  life  by  its  success,  Lafayette's  might  be 
pronounced  a  failure.  But  if  we  look  deeper,  we 
shall  see  that  his  country  owes  to  the  Revolution  of 
1789  what  is  best  in  her  present  condition;  and 
turning  to  Lafayette's  own  character,  we  cannot 
fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  beauty  of  his  generous, 
disinterested,  enthusiastic,  Moving,  upright  nature. 
He  was  proof  agahist  many  of  the  temptations 
other  men  yielded  to,  and  in  his  frank  simplicity 
went  through  the  changes  and  trials  of  a  most  varied 
life,  always  deserving  the  praise  of  seeking  "  what- 
soever things  are  honest." 


THE    END. 


